Sanity
by Yami Alchemist
Summary: Sequel to Alive. Yugi and Atem come back from vacation, only to find out that Hikari's all over the world are disappearing. Who is behind it and what can the two do to stop them? YxA NOT Anzu!
1. Peace

So here's my new story.

Well, actually it's a continuation of Alive.

I hope you all like it!

I do NOT own Yugioh. The only things I own are Serena, Wynter and the plot.

See you at the bottom!

* * *

Sanity

Peace

_Sheraton Cairo Hotel, One week later_

"Yugi, are you almost ready?"

"Yep, I just got to pack the souvenir I picked up for grandpa," Yugi said.

Yugi Mutou, and the love of his life, Atem Atenkaten were vacationing in Cairo Egypt. The two looked a lot alike. They both had spiky tri-colored hair. Yugi's was ebony with amethyst tips and his blonde bangs framed his angelic face. His eyes matched the tips of his hair. Atem had the same ebony base and blonde bangs, but he had crimson tips instead of amethyst and some of the bangs shot up through the black part of his hair. His eyes too matched the tips of his hair. They were once known as Hikari and Yami. A hikari was a person who had another soul residing inside of their bodies. Less than a month ago, Hikari's all over the world had been enslaved by the "Organization." The "Organization" was a corrupt group that acted much like a government. They kept strict rules that oppressed the Hikaris. Some of those rules included living inside of a facility, never being able to fall in love with their Yami's (the souls that resided in them, and yes, it did happen.) and finally, never allowing a Yami to take control. Due to a series of rather strange events, Yugi ended up separated from his Yami, Atem, and with the help from some of their friends, they defeated Dartz, the man in charge of the "Organization." Shortly after, the entire "Organization" fell apart, and Hikari's all over the world were freed and now more and more were being separated from their Yami's. Yugi and Atem left for Egypt shortly afterwards and now, a week later, they were heading home.

Atem walked into the room as he slipped on a plain black t-shirt. Blue jeans sat snugly on his hips and he had yet to put on his boots.

Yugi folded a small blanket that they had bought for his grandfather. Arms circled around his waist and he gasped in surprise, "Atem!"

"Hello, beautiful," Atem purred into his ear, "Ready to go?"

"Yep, just let me put the blanket in the suitcase," he said.

Yugi placed the blanket into a huge suitcase and zipped it up. He turned and wrapped his arms around Atem's neck as the other gave him a long slow kiss.

"I love you," he said when they pulled away from each other.

"I love you too, koi," Atem replied, "Let's get going."

"Okay," he said.

The two picked up several different suitcases and headed to the door. Yugi paused and took one last look around the place they had called home for the past week. A small smile graced his lips as he sighed.

"What's wrong?" Atem asked as he watched him.

"I just can't believe that we're leaving," Yugi said.

"I know," he replied as he put the suitcases down that he was carrying. He walked over to Yugi and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"I'm going to miss it here," Yugi said as he leaned back into Atem. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the embrace.

"We'll come back, someday, akhu," Atem whispered.

"I hope so," Yugi replied, "I feel so at peace here."

"Come. Let's go," Atem said as he let go of his counterpart and picked up the suitcases.

Yugi nodded and with one last look around the room, left the room, the door closing softly behind him.

_15 hours later_

"We're home," Yugi said.

The two exited the airplane, collected their luggage, and headed outside to catch a cab.

"Hey you two!" a voice called out to them.

Yugi turned around and was almost immediately thrown backwards when a long silver haired boy launched himself into his arms.

"Yugi! We missed you so much!" the boy said.

"Hello, Ryou. We've missed you as well," Yugi said as he hugged one of his closest friends.

Another boy that had similar hair to Ryou approached the group. He looked pissed off for some reason.

"Hello, Bakura," Yugi said with a smile.

"Hey shorty," the boy named Bakura grunted, "Pharaoh."

"Tomb Robber," Atem replied with a nod.

Yugi and Ryou untangled themselves and Ryou helped him up.

"What are you guys doing here?" Yugi asked with a smile.

Ryou and Bakura looked at each other, their faces suddenly turning grave.

"Kaiba sent us to pick you up," Ryou said.

"Why?" Atem asked as he crossed his arms.

"Something's up."

_30 minutes later, Kaiba Corp's Japan Headquarters_

The four got out of the limo. The limo driver promised that all of Yugi and Atem's luggage would be taken to their apartment straight away. The four of them had spent the ride to Kaiba Corp in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Yugi and Atem would occasionally trade ideas on what was happening, but in the end just decided to wait to see what Kaiba had to tell them. The receptionist informed them that Kaiba was waiting for them, and to take the last elevator on the left. They made their way to the elevator and into Kaiba's office. This one was furnished slightly different than the American office. Kaiba still had a humongous desk, but instead of couches, there were several different style pillows for seating, as per the Japanese custom. The four didn't bother with formalities as they entered. Yugi and Atem noticed with some dread that Malik, Marik, Serena, and Wynter were also there. As were their old teachers, Mai, Duke and Tea. The only difference this time was that Mokuba, Serenity and their Yami's, now separated from them, were also there. They nodded their greetings and sat down on some of the pillows that were scattered around the room.

"So, what's up?" Yugi asked.

Kaiba shut his laptop and looked at each of them over intertwined fingers. (A/N: I don't think Kaiba will ever get rid of that laptop.)

He heaved a sigh and stood up. Blinds closed over the windows, successfully throwing the room into darkness, which did not last long. A huge projection screen lit up the room as Kaiba started to speak.

"Troubles been rising," he said, "I've been keeping a close eye on all of the Hikari's around the world. Yes, this includes all of you. Lately, a lot have been disappearing."

A map flashed up on the screen showing hundreds of thousands of dots. It only stayed on the screen for a few seconds when another map appeared in its place. This time, there were fewer dots. A lot fewer.

"These are maps of all of the Hikari's that I've been able to keep track of. I say able to because unlike a certain departed "Organization" head, I've asked all of the people represented on these maps if I couldn't keep track of them. These are all of the ones who've agreed and given me their current address," he said, "The next map was made two days ago. As you can see, there are a lot of people missing. Too many to be coincidence."

"So you don't think it's just a simple case of them moving and not telling you where?" Atem asked.

Kaiba pushed a button and the screen disappeared and the blinds opened, blinding everyone in the room.

"No. I don't. I had some of my men check out the ones in the immediate area," he replied, "All of their belongings are still in their homes, ready to be used."

"So they've just disappeared without a trace?" Wynter asked.

"Precisely. Now the worst part is, these maps only show the ones I've gotten permission from," Kaiba said as he leaned on his desk and crossed his arms.

"So there could be thousands more missing?" Yugi whispered.

"Yes."

"What do you want from us?" Bakura said.

"Well, we're going to have to find out who's behind this," he said, "And stop them."

The group nodded in agreement. Yugi and Atem shared a look and they both sighed.

"You'll all be working together this time," Kaiba said, "We've come to far now to let anything happen."

"You're right," Atem said with a slight yawn.

"You two better go home and rest," Kaiba said, "I know you haven't even had a chance to unpack yet."

The two of them nodded and the group stood up. They headed towards the elevator when Kaiba stopped them again.

"Be careful."

The group nodded and filed into the elevator.

_So much for peace,_ Atem said to Yugi over their mind link.

Yugi nodded and stared out the window of the elevator.

_So much for the peace,_ he repeated.

* * *

So there it is. Something's happening to the Hikari's just when they've gotten their freedom.

Don't forget to review!

Jaa!


	2. Thoughts

So here is chapter two! I hope you all like it!

See you at the bottom!

Enjoy!

* * *

Sanity

Thoughts

Yugi sighed as he stepped out of the limo. They had been driven to their apartment by one of Kaiba's limos and he was just ready to sleep. Jet lag had settled in when they were in Kaiba's office talking about what had happened and it had taken all of his strength not to fall asleep. First, however, before he went to sleep, he wanted to talk to Atem. The news about the Hikari's had upset him greatly and he just wanted to talk about it. He followed behind Atem in silence as the other unlocked the door. They walked in and Yugi sagged down onto the couch in the living room. Atem gently sat down next to him and pulled Yugi closer. He rested his head on top of Yugi's and the two sat in silence for a moment.

"Atem…"

"I know, Yugi. I'm scared too," Atem whispered.

"Why is this happening to us? We were finally free, and now this," Yugi murmured.

"I know, hikari, I know," Atem replied.

"I'm beginning to hate that word," Yugi said.

"Come now, it's not that bad," he said.

"Yes it is! It's brought nothing but pain and misfortune to everyone! Being a hikari has hurt everyone we care about," he replied.

Atem turned until he was facing Yugi completely. He took his hands in his own and squeezed them gently. Yugi looked up at him through watery eyes.

"Yugi," he said sternly, "Being a hikari is not a bad thing. Being what we are has never been a bad thing. The only reason why being one has given us a bad name is because of the fact that others are jealous. They are jealous because they don't get to experience the joys of having a companion with you practically for the rest of your life. I know you don't hate what you are."

Yugi looked down and then back up at Atem and smiled, "You're right, I don't hate myself. I can't, not after everything we've been through. But then again, we aren't exactly normal Hikari and Yami, now are we?"

Atem chuckled and nodded. He disentangled one of his hands from Yugi's and held it up, a shadow ball forming on his palm, "You're right, we're not."

Yugi watched Atem's hand for a moment before lifting his own and a small ball of light formed on his own palm. He brought his hand up next to Atem's and watched as the two powers mixed together, creating a swirling ball of black and white. The two moved their hands away, the ball of power remaining stationary.

"It's funny, our powers are the exact opposite of each other and yet thrive best when mixed together," Yugi said.

"Just like us," Atem said as he lifted the two hands that were still connected. Bronze and marble skin colors contrasted strikingly against each other, but seemed to flow so beautifully together. They watched as the swirling ball of power that they had created floated over their hands and pulled apart. Expecting their powers to return to where they came from, the two were surprised when the opposite power flowed into their still connected arms. Yugi felt the safe, coolness of the shadows settle over his fears and calmed them. He closed his eyes as he felt the shadows settle within him. His body relaxed considerably and he sighed. Atem heard the sigh and smiled. He had closed his eyes the moment he felt Yugi's power flow through him. He felt the gentle warmth that was unique to Yugi's power seep into every pour in his body. He was slightly surprised that for such a small amount of power that they had put into the ball, a lot seemed to be flowing through him. He felt his body relax under the gentle coaxing of Yugi's power and he smiled again. Without opening his eyes, he pulled Yugi to him in a gentle embrace, capturing the others lips with his own. The kiss was short and sweet, but it said everything that needed to be said. Atem broke the kiss and opened his eyes to gaze down at his young counterpart.

"Come on, let's go to bed. That jet lag is starting to catch up with me."

Yugi nodded and allowed Atem to pull him through the apartment to their bedroom. The two look-a-likes lay down on the bed, their arms wrapped around each other as they drifted to sleep. The shadows in the room darkened as the sunlight fell away, allowing the two to get the much needed rest that they deserved, even if it was but a short one.

_Ryou and Bakura's apartment_

Bakura unlocked the door to their apartment and the two stepped inside. He took a deep breath and set the keys down on the kitchen table. Ryou went to walk by him, to go to the fridge, but a strong pair of arms wrapped around his waist.

"Bakura?"

"Just… just let me hold you," Bakura whispered into his neck.

Ryou turned in Bakura's arms and wrapped his own around his neck. He threaded his hands into Bakura's hair and sighed.

"I'm scared, Kura," he murmured.

"I know, hikari," Bakura replied, "But I promise, nothing will happen to you."

"I don't want to lose you,"

"You won't. I won't allow it," he growled softly.

"I love you," Ryou whispered.

"Me too,"

"Say it," he said.

"Huh?" Bakura asked as he pulled back to look into Ryou's eyes.

"Please say it, Bakura," Ryou pleaded as he stared up at him, "I want to hear you say it just once."

Bakura stared into Ryou's eyes for a moment, searching for something before he said, "I love you too, Ryou. I always will."

Ryou smiled, "Thank you," he whispered as he leaned up to kiss him.

Bakura closed his eyes and the two met in a gentle but rough kiss. It could only be described as a kiss that Bakura would give, because it was loving but at the same time, it was rough. Ryou slowly got light headed under the ministrations of his yami. Bakura broke the kiss and started to attack Ryou's neck, showering it with kisses and licks.

"Bakura…" Ryou groaned.

"Let's take this elsewhere," he replied.

He led his lighter counterpart through the house and to the bedroom where he proceeded to show him just how much he loved him.

_Kaiba Corps_

"Look, I want to know who did this and I want to know yesterday!" Kaiba said. He slammed the phone back down on the hook and scowled.

He pressed a button on his phone, "Marcia, cancel all of my appointments for today. I'm going to be busy. Let no one through except for the names I gave you."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Kaiba," Marcia replied.

Kaiba got up from his chair and walked out of his office. He was so lost in thought that he almost walked by the room where he was intending to go. He shook his head and opened the door. Inside were several computer consoles, along with a dozen projection screens. Six people either stood or sat in various parts of the room. They all stood when Kaiba walked in.

"Report."

"We've gotten much further, Mr. Kaiba," a women with blonde hair said.

"We've mapped the disappearances," another person, a guy with brown hair, said. He held up a remote and pressed a button. The screen right in front of them lit up and about 50 dots flashed on the screen in a pattern much like that of a seismograph. (A/N: A seismograph measures the intensity of earthquakes.)

"The dots on the right are the ones that were taken first, and from there it progresses to the ones that were taken a few days ago," the blonde haired women said, "We think we've found a pattern."

"Can you predict where they're going to hit next?" he asked as he studied the image.

"We think we can," she replied.

"Think?"

"Well, we've got the house narrowed down, but we can't give an exact time of when they might hit," she replied. She held up another remote and pressed a different button. The image on the screen switched to show a satellite image of a plain white house. There was a two car garage attached to it and a white fence circled the perimeter.

"Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Wade," the guy with brown hair said, "Middle age, Yami and Hikari, she's the hikari, 2 kids, adopted, a boy, 5 and a girl 7. They just got married a week ago, moved into the house and he works at a law firm in the city. She splits her time between taking care of the kids and a salon down the street. On the outside, they look like a respectable family. Hardly anyone knows that she used to be a hikari. They moved here from England."

"And you know for sure that they're targeted next," Kaiba asked as he studied the screen, which now showed profile pictures of the family.

"Yes, we're a hundred percent sure that they are next in line," she replied, "But like we said, we don't know when."

"We'll make them come to us," Kaiba said as he turned around to her, "I want 12 copies of each of the photo's and a basic background on my desk tomorrow morning."

"Yes sir," she said.

He turned and left the room. His mind was already forming a plan to get whoever it was that was kidnapping all of the hikari's. He took a small detour into a different room and quietly opened the door. Inside on a bed laid two boys, a black haired boy and a light blue almost green haired boy. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to the black haired boy. Running his hand through each of the boys' hair, he sighed.

"I promise, nothing will take you away from me again, Mokuba, Noah," he whispered.

* * *

Hmmm... what's Kaiba up to now?

See you in the next chapter!

Jaa!


	3. Oceans

Hey, everyone! Here's Chapter 3!

I don't own the R.M.S Capathia, the Titanic, the MIR or Yugioh. Wish I did, well, at least Yugioh anyways.

Enjoy!

* * *

Sanity

Oceans

The elevator door opened and Yugi and Atem walked out and into Kaiba's office. The others were already there, waiting for them. Kaiba had been so courteous as to order breakfast for them. Yugi quickly darted over to the table filled with food and began to fill a plate full. Yami chuckled before joining him. The two grabbed their breakfast and sat down while they waited for Kaiba. He was currently on his way back from talking with his staff one last time about the whereabouts of Mr. and Mrs. Wade. (A/N: For once, he's not on his laptop.) He sighed and thought bitterly; _of course things have to be difficult_. Grumbling softly to himself he entered his office and surveyed the group who were chattering softly. They stopped talking when they noticed that he had walked in and he walked over to his desk and grabbed the remote.

"I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is we've figured out who the next hikari to be taken is," he said.

He pressed a button on the remote and the overhead screen came down and the same map that his staff had shown him popped on the screen.

"This is a map of all of the hikari's taken in the Osaka area. After we plotted the addresses of the missing hikari's we noticed that they formed a line. Albeit a crooked line, but a line nonetheless. My staff worked hard, but they were able to determine the next targets," he said.

He handed them the profiles that he had requested. Yugi and Atem set their food down and opened the folders to study the pictures.

"Mr. Alexander Wade and his wife Stephanie. Their two children, Josh, 5 and Jennifer, 7," Serena read out loud. She frowned and asked, "Wait, if they were hikari and Yami, then how do they have children?"

"Adopted. They adopted the children a little over two weeks ago, and got married a week ago. Now that's where the bad news comes in," Kaiba said. He pressed another button and photos of what looked like a shipwreck flashed on the screen.

"This is the R.M.S. Carpathia," he said.

"That's the ship that rescued the survivors of the Titanic, right?" Bakura asked.

Kaiba nodded," Yes, it is. The R.M.S. Carpathia saved over 700 of the survivors of the Titanic. Later on its way from Liverpool to Boston it was sunk by the German U-boat U-47. It was found by the NUMA organization in the later months of 2000. As a wedding present to his wife, Alexander Wade hired a private crew to dive on the shipwreck, which is located off of Fastnet, Ireland. That's the bad news. Meaning they could be taken at almost any time."

"So, what are we going to do?" Atem asked as he sat back into the couch and put his arm around Yugi, who leaned into him. The smaller of the two sighed and rested his head on the older one's shoulder, his eyes closed.

Kaiba pressed a button on the remote and the screen went back up. Everyone blinked for a few seconds at the intruding sunlight that poured in through the windows.

"I hope you two know how to swim," he said to Yugi and Atem.

"Why?"

"Because you are going to do some deep sea diving," he replied.

"Diving? You mean you're sending us with them?" Yugi said.

Kaiba sat down at his desk and laced his fingers together, "In a way. You two are going to be a couple of diving experts assigned to the ship that they will be using. They won't know who you really are, or why you're there. To them, you'll just be another part of the crew. You're job will be to protect them at all cost, no matter what."

Yugi and Atem shared a look and nodded, "Fine. When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. The Wades won't be there until the day after, but you'll be leaving to reach the ship before them. No one knows why you are going to be there except for the captain and a couple of U.S. Navy Seals. The rest of the. crew and the Wades will be under the pretense that you are merely there to supervise the dives. Watch your backs and be careful. I don't need you both dying on me."

Yugi nodded and the two left. On his way out, he heard Atem whisper to him.

"Good thing Grandpa was so adamant on us learning how to dive."

He couldn't help but to nod in agreement.

_The next day, Cork, Ireland._

Yugi and Atem walked into the airport. They quickly located their luggage and headed out to the waiting room. A man with grey hair and sea green eyes held up a sign that said Atenkaten. He had wrinkles everywhere and a deep tan that suggested that he saw more of the outdoors than the indoors.

"Captain Matthews?" Atem asked.

"You Atem and Yugi?" the Captain asked.

"Yes, that's us," Yugi said.

"Good. We've got about a 2 hour drive to get to the ship, so there's no use sitting around here and gossiping like old ladies," the Captain said.

The three of them left the airport and walked out to an old Ford Pickup. Yugi and Atem looked at each other and then back at the truck. Both sent a silent prayer up to the Gods, hoping that the truck wouldn't fall apart before they got to the ship. Captain Matthews climbed into the driver's seat and started the old truck. Yugi quickly climbed up into the truck and sat in the middle while they waited for Atem to get done putting their luggage into the back. He got in and the Captain drove out of the city into the Irish countryside.

"So, what's this all about?" the Captain asked.

"Well, the two that hired your boat is under surveillance," Atem said.

"Why, they do something wrong?" he asked.

"No, actually, they might be the next targets in a series of kidnapped people," Yugi replied.

"Oh. And you're going to try to prevent that?" he asked as he spit out the window.

"We're going to try," Atem said as he tried not to gag at the sight.

"Ever dived before?" he asked them.

"Yes, we learned when we were younger and have dived several times," Yugi said. He had turned his face away from the Captain and was now staring out the passenger side window.

"Good. The last two that were here were crappy divers. I don't need a couple of city folk coming and drowning because my dive specialists were too lax on the job," he said.

"Don't worry, Captain. That's what we're here for, to make sure they don't," Atem said.

"Good," he said.

They stopped talking and the only noise that filled the cabin of the truck was a loud rumble that came from the old truck. Atem focused his gaze out the window and watched as the Irish countryside flew by them. Yugi tried to watch the countryside as well, but he slowly was becoming tired and eventually he rested his head on Atem's shoulder and fell asleep. Atem looked at him, amusement showing in his eyes before he looked back out the window. He too slowly drifted off into dreamland as the loud rumbling of the truck lulled him to sleep. The Captain glanced at the two and shook his head, a smile ghosting his old lips.

_2 hours later, On board the Lisa Marie._

Atem and Yugi were in their state room unpacking their clothes. They had arrived at the ship and were surprised at how beautiful she looked. Over 100 ft in length (30 meters) from bow to stern; she was pure white, with black writing etching out the words _Lisa Marie_. (A/N: Bow = front, Stern = back, Port = left, Starboard = right.) She had two cranes on her stern that were used to hoist submersibles into the water. A MIR submersible sat on her decks, to be used when they dived on the wreck. She was three decks tall, with the bridge sitting high up over the ship. She proudly waved an American flag that now sat idle since there wasn't any wind at the moment. They climbed aboard the ship and were promised a tour of the ship after they were done packing. At the directions of the Captain, one of the crew members led them to their stateroom. They were in awe of the huge ship and were excited to be shown around. After quickly unpacking, they met with another crew member by the name of Tim who was directed to show them around. They started out at the top of the ship, where the bridge was located. The Captain nodded to them as he poured over some nautical maps, presumably where the shipwreck was located. Next they explored the open decks. They had a chance to see inside the submersible. The submersible was held four seats and was equipped with underwater cameras. There were mechanical arms attached to the front and there was a small ROV (A/N: Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle) attached underneath. For the purpose of the dive, they would mostly be using the ROV once they were in the water. They would have dived on the wreck, but the Wades were inexperienced divers. Sure, they knew how to dive, but they didn't know how to deep sea dive, Atem and Yugi weren't going to take the chance.

They moved from the top decks to the first deck. Here, the Captains quarters, the galley, and the infirmary were located. They were shown into the galley, where they were warmly greeted by the cook. The cook was a rather muscular man, whom you could tell worked outside of the galley when needed. He asked them to call him Mac instead of his given name of Thomas. Next they were introduced to the ship's doctor, a spry woman around the age of 50 named Laura. She told them that if they had any problems, even the smallest of cuts, to come and see her. The three left and made their way down to the second deck. Here the crew was quartered. Yugi and Atem had already seen this part of the ship, seeing as their rooms were here. The last deck that they saw held the engine room as well as two holds that were currently empty. What surprised the both of them was that there were two ballast tanks on the ship, one at the bow and one at the stern. (A/N: Ballast tanks help to keep something afloat, basically.) Tim explained that the reason why the ship had two ballast tanks was because if the ship ever hit something and was taking on water, the opposite ballast tank would adjust to keep the ship afloat either until they reached a port or until they had launched the lifeboats. The three made their way back up to the main deck, where the Captain was waiting for them.

"I hope you've enjoyed the tour?" he asked.

"Yes sir, we did," Atem said.

"Son, don't bother with that sir crap. Never been one, never gonna be one. Just call me Capt'n," he said.

"Yes, Captain," Atem replied with a grin.

"Good," he replied.

"You know," Yugi said as he tilted his head and looked up at the American flag that was now flying above their heads, "I was wondering why you didn't sound Irish. Now I know."

"Yep, everyone on board, save yourselves and Laura, was either born or lived in the United States. They're the best crew I could ask for," Captain said.

"Well, I hope we can live up to your expectations, Captain," Atem replied.

Captain led them through the bridge and down to the galley, "You better. Now then, Mac has dinner ready, and I'm sure you're starved. After you're done eating, you can hit the sacks if you want. You're going to have a long day ahead of you."

"Thank you, Captain," Atem said.

"Welcome to the _Lisa Marie_," he replied as he walked away to go back to the bridge.

Tim smiled, "Well, ready to eat?"

"Famished," Yugi replied as the three entered the galley.

Mac served them an elegant welcome dinner. He served shrimp bisque with toasted garlic bread, lobster tails served on a bed of rice, with a delicious chocolate cheesecake with raspberry sauce drizzled over top and Martin Ray Champagne. Yugi and Atem were in heaven and praised Mac every chance they got. It wasn't often that they got to eat like that, and it was pure bliss for them. Mac informed them that they would eat this good every day that they were aboard the _Lisa Marie_. As they were eating, to men, a black haired with grey eyes and a light blonde haired with brown eyes approached their table.

"Hi, welcome aboard," the black haired guy said.

"Thank you," Atem said.

"My name is Dirk," the black haired guy said, "and his name is Austin. We're going to be diving with you when the Wades get here. We're here to help you in _any_ way that we can."

Immediately catching on, Atem nodded, "Thanks. We'd like to go over some plans with you later, if that's okay."

"Sure, that's fine," Dirk said.

"We're going to be retiring to our room later, if you want to stop by then," Yugi suggested.

"That'll be fine. We'll see you later then," Austin said.

The two left and Atem, Yugi and Tim finished their meals. Bidding the crew goodnight, the two of them retreated to their room. A few minutes later, a knock sounded at their door.

"Come in!"

"It's just us," Dirk said as he came in.

"Okay," Yugi replied, "Atem's in the bathroom, he should be out in a few minutes."

Dirk nodded and the three of them sat down on in the living room part of their room to wait for Atem, who came out a few minutes later.

"Hey," he said as he joined Yugi on the sofa.

"Hey," they replied.

"So I take it, you two are the Seals that Kaiba mentioned?" Yugi asked.

"You're boss has some pull, I must say," Dirk said with a shake of his head, "How he managed to secure the two of us is beyond me. We were on a mission when we got a call from our commanding officer that we were going to be reassigned for a few days."

"He's not our boss," Atem said, "It's more like, we owe him, so we're doing odd jobs for him."

"Odd is right," Austin said, "So what's so special about this couple?"

"Well, you know about the Hikari's right?" Atem asked.

The two men nodded.

"Well, someone has been kidnapping them in Japan. The Wades are the next in line to be kidnapped," he said.

"And you're hoping to prevent that?" Austin asked.

"We're hoping to prevent it and to find out who's behind it all," Yugi said.

Dirk nodded, "Well, we're here to help you in any way. We're not the only Seals aboard the ship, just so you know."

"There are others?" Yugi asked.

"Yes, but you won't know who they are unless it's necessary," he replied.

Atem nodded, "Alright, thanks for everything."

"You're welcome. We'll let you get to sleep. We know you've had a long day."

The two nodded and they all said their goodbyes. Yugi and Atem got ready for bed. They changed and brushed their teeth. After locking the door and turning off the lights, the two crawled into bed. With a soft kiss goodnight, they fell into a gentle slumber, their arms wrapped around each other.

_The next afternoon,_

The Wades arrived just when they said they were going to arrive. Yugi and Atem stood out on deck with Dirk and Austin. Captain walked up onto the ship with the Wades behind him. Alexander Wade was a man in his late 40's. He had red hair that was already slightly graying with light blue eyes. He was muscular and held himself with confidence. Stephanie Wade was a petite woman, who had brown hair and brown eyes. She could hold her own more than she looked. Captain introduced them to Atem and Yugi and explained their role to the couple.

"We're glad to be of service," Atem said.

"It's so good to finally be here," Stephanie said, "We've been planning this even before the "Organization" went down."

"Well, we're glad to make your dream come true," Yugi said with a smile.

"Thank you," she said.

"We're going to be in the submersible with you, when we dive. The two men behind me will be in diving suits and will be going down with us in case anything goes wrong with the submersible," Atem explained.

"Why can't we dive?" Alexander asked.

"Well, to be quite frank, sir, you and your wife may have experience diving, but you haven't experienced deep sea diving. Since this is the first time, we are playing it safe, and using the submersible so that way nothing happens to you," Atem said.

Alexander nodded, "Honesty, I like that. You're the experts, so we'll do what you say."

"Thank you."

"You must be tired. We'll dive first thing in the morning. Right now, there's a nice warm meal waiting in the galley, and then you'll be shown to your rooms," Yugi said with a smile.

"Alright, thank you," Alexander said as he wrapped an arm around Stephanie.

"You're welcome, and welcome to the _Lisa Marie_."

* * *

Well, that's a lot to process.

I wonder what happens next?

See you in the next chapter, and don't forget to review!

Jaa!


	4. RMS Carpathia

So here it is, Chapter 4!

Just so you know, I don't own the Carpathia, nor the Titanic... blah blah blah.

See you at the bottom!

Enjoy!

* * *

Sanity

R.M.S Carpathia

_8:00 a.m. Deck of the Lisa Marie_

Atem stood looking out at the water. He had woken up an hour and a half ago from a nightmare that he had about him and Yugi. In the dream he and Yugi had failed to kill Dartz, and Yugi was killed instead. The dream had plagued him for days now. The first time he had the dream, he had woken up screaming and Yugi had to calm him down. From then on, whenever he had the dream, Yugi would wake up and just hold him while he shivered. The thought of loosing Yugi was just too much. He didn't want to think about it. This time he had woken up and didn't have the heart to wake up the younger one. So instead he had slipped quietly out of bed and, after finding a light jacket, left the room for a walk around the upper deck. It was still rather early for the crew to be fully up and working when he stole down the corridors to the galley. Mac was already up and starting to cook breakfast when Atem walked in. He nodded at him, offered a cup of coffee and went back to making breakfast. Atem had accepted the coffee gratefully, and set out to wander around the ship. He had walked around the entire upper deck three times before he finally stopped at the bow to look out at the ocean. The _Lisa Marie_ had been underway since sometime late that night. The R.M.S. Carpathia laid under a little more than 500 feet of water at approximately 53° 13' N - 10° 40' W. The ocean was rather calm in the early morning hours. Atem knew that the waters off the Irish coast would start to get cold soon, what with the weather changing in the next couple of months. He was glad that the Wades had scheduled to do the dive now instead of later in the year. To be on the safe side, Dirk and Austin were both told that they would be wearing dry suits. A standard wet suit would be fine in warming waters, but in the water where they were supposed to be, the dry suits would keep them warmer. He sighed as a slight breeze filtered in from the south. He felt arms wrap around his waist from behind and he smiled.

"Good morning, love," he said as he turned around and wrapped his arms around the person behind him.

"Morning," Yugi replied.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked as he placed a small kiss on Yugi's forehead.

"Yes," Yugi replied as he sighed contentedly, "What's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"I know you woke up early. Did you have the dream again?" he asked.

Atem studied the smaller ones face for a moment before nodding.

"Oh, koi, it's going to be alright, I'm not going anywhere," Yugi whispered before placing a chaste kiss on Atem's lips.

"I know, but I can't help but worry. I don't want to lose you," he murmured, "Not after everything we've gone through to get here."

Yugi sighed and buried his face into Atem's chest, "You won't. Now, what do you say we go get some breakfast and then get this show on the road?"

Atem nodded, "Sure."

The two left the peaceful deck and made their way below to the galley, where Mac was done with making breakfast. Eggs, bacon, home fries, sausage, and grits were laid out on the buffet table ready for anyone to help themselves. The two helped themselves to some of the food before sitting down at a table. The crew slowly started to trickle in and Tim, Dirk, and Austin eventually ended up sitting with them. It was almost 9:00 by the time the Wades had made their way into the galley. Seeing as Atem and Yugi were the only ones they really knew besides the Captain, they ended up sitting with them. They started out talking about the ship, which Tim filled them in on a lot of things. It slowly turned to talking about the upcoming dive.

"So what exactly are we going to be doing?" Alexander asked.

"Well, for today, we're just basically going to be looking around," Atem supplied as he sipped his coffee, "We'll take the submersible down and use the ROV to look around the wreck. Dirk and Austin will be down there with us. They'll be making sure that nothing gets tangled up in either the ROV's cords or in the subs propellers."

Alexander nodded as he ate more of his breakfast.

Stephanie put her fork down and tilted her head, "Now I know the _Carpathia_ was the one that helped the Titanic life boats, but not much more than that. What's she like?"

"Well, the _Carpathia_ was a passenger liner, much like the others of her day. She was built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson for the Cunard White Star line. Yes the same White Star line that owned the _R.M.S. Titanic_. She was launched on the 6th of August in 1902. She received distress signals from the Titanic and immediately went underway to her rescue. They pulled 705 people out of the Titanic's life boats, 4 of which that died before they reached the New York harbor," Yugi explained, "She was approximately 541 feet (165 meters) in length. The total height, or beam as it is called in ship language, was 64.6 feet (19.66 meters) high. She had a displacement of 8,600 tons in the water. She could cruise at a top speed of 17.5 knots when she had both sets of 8-cylinder steam engines running at full capacity. She could house 1,704 passengers. She was used to transport American troops during the First World War when she was sunk by the German U-boat, U-47. It took three torpedoes to bring her down."

"She was found in late 2000 by NUMA and currently belongs to Premier Exhibitions Inc., whom you had to get permission from for this dive to even be considered," Atem said.

"Yes, we had a nice time getting them to agree with it," Alexander said as he sipped his own cup of coffee, "The only way they agreed to let us dive was if we found anything, we had to promise to give it to them."

"A legitimate claim," Dirk spoke up, "They do own it."

"True," Stephanie sighed.

"There was a letter written by one of the passengers of the _Carpathia_ when they picked up the survivors of the _Titanic_," Atem said quietly. Everyone's gaze turned to him.

"What did it say?" Stephanie asked.

Atem closed his eyes and quoted off pieces of the letter, "'... The horror of it all was appalling ... soon appeared out of the 'Dark of the Dawn' first one boat and the other 18 in all, loaded with men, women & children & babies ... there were about 150 made widows on board and the fatherless & motherless and mothers without sons to the end of the chapter...All talk about the shrieks of women ringing through our ship, which you have probably read in the papers, is the worst rot, if you had seen the fortitude with which they bore their sufferings and woe you would be prouder than ever of your sex. ..'"

"Wow… that's… sad," she said.

"The letter was written from a Mr. Luke Hoyt to a family friend simply addressed as Bird," he said.

"The _Carpathia_'s history may not be as tragic as that of the _Titanic_ but she still has some history to her," Yugi said.

"That is very true," Stephanie said in agreement.

Dirk shot a look to Austin and the two men stood up.

"We're going to double check all of the equipment before we head out. We suggest you all take the next hour to get ready," Dirk said.

The Wades nodded in agreement and the four of them left, the Wades heading to their cabin, while Dirk and Austin headed topside. Tim had left the group earlier to go report to his duties, so it just left Atem and Yugi at the table.

"I want to talk to the Captain before we dive. Care to join?" Atem asked.

Yugi smiled up at his love and nodded, "Sure, why not?"

The two left the galley and made their way to the upper decks. The Captain was currently standing in the Bridge overlooking several maps. He straightened as the two walked in.

"Well, if it isn't our two dive experts," he said with a smile.

"Morning Captain," Atem greeted.

"Morning, and what are you two up to?" he asked.

"I was just curious about this magnificent ship of yours," Atem replied with a shrug.

"Well, the _Lisa Marie_ is a very unique ship," he said as he motioned them over to the front of the bridge, "Believe it or not, but this ol' ship is actually an icebreaker."

"An icebreaker?" Yugi asked.

"An icebreaker ship can break up ice. She can handle anywhere from 2 feet (61 centimeters) to a little over 6 feet (1.8 meters) of ice," he explained.

"How is that possible?" Yugi asked.

"The hull is reinforced steel. There are four steel plates that are several feet thick that make up her hull. Her bow has two additional steel plates to help break up the ice," he supplied, "There's more to her than just that, though."

"Oh?"

"She's not only an icebreaker, but she's also a research ship. There are all kinds of instruments aboard the ship. She can research oceanographic, meteorological, biological, and even the ice she breaks through. We unloaded some of the equipment that usually clutters the deck for this trip," he said.

Yugi looked thoughtful for a second, "That explains the two ballast tanks then."

"Yes, unlike normal ships, the _Lisa Marie_ is equipped with two ballast tanks in case the hull ever gets damaged. She can keep us afloat for a good 6 hours. That's enough time to either reach port or to drop the lifeboats," he said with a nod.

"What happens if both ballast tanks get hit?" Atem asked.

"If both ballast tanks are taking on water, they will automatically try to balance out to keep us afloat long enough to get the lifeboats in the water," Captain replied.

"How does it know when the lifeboats have been dropped?" Yugi asked.

"There are censors connected to the cranes that hold up the lifeboats. When one is dropped, the sensor sends a signal to the main computer. When all have been dropped, the main computer will automatically stop the ballast tanks and the ship will sink," he replied with a shrug.

"Let's hope it never comes to that," Atem replied.

"Indeed," Captain said, "You boys have a little over a half an hour until you launch. I suggest you spend the time getting ready," he said.

"Thank you Captain," Atem said.

The Captain nodded and watched the two leave the bridge, "Mr. Allen, two degrees to starboard."

Yugi and Atem spent the next half hour getting ready for the dive. They each wore a dry suit over a pair of insulated underwear. Dive boots covered their feet and they both had a diver's knife attached to their legs. They weren't about to take too many chances. When they were done, they met the Wades outside of their room and the four of them headed up to the submersible. The four seat submersible was almost cigar shaped and had a propulsion system attached to the back of it. Two of the four seats were visible through the windows. These were the seats that Atem and Yugi were going to be sitting in. Atem was to pilot the craft while Yugi kept a check on the systems and the amount of time they had been under. They had a total of 4 hours down time. With a nod to Dirk and Austin, the four got in the submersible and the dome was shut, sealing them inside. Atem and Yugi took their positions at the front of the sub, while the Wades sat directly behind them. Atem gave a thumbs up to Tim, who sat in the crane that was attached to the sub. Tim nodded and immediately the crane began hoisting the sub up into the air. He lowered the sub until it was a couple of feet above the water before he released the hook on it and the sub fell into the water with a small splash. Almost immediately, Atem activated the subs power and she began to sink into the abyss. They heard rather than saw Dirk and Austin's dive into the water. Yugi activated the subs internal lights and the cabin lit up. The Wades were behind them talking excitedly about what they might find.

Keeping one eye on the gauges, Yugi asked Atem, "Think we're crazy yet?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, we're in a sardine can, about to be several hundred feet under the only form of civilization within miles with a couple of people that we don't even know," he replied, "Not to mention, we're expecting someone to come and kidnap them."

"Hmmm… no we're not crazy yet," Atem said with a smile.

"Jerk," Yugi tossed back at him.

"Ahhh, but I'm your jerk," Atem said in a dangerously low tone.

Yugi shivered at the sound and shot his darker half a coy smile.

_Several minutes later…_

"Bottom's coming up," Yugi announced.

The bottom slowly appeared in the sub's external lights. Directly ahead of them sat the _Carpathia_. When she had sunk, she had rolled and now sat upright. Atem pushed the throttles forward and the sub crawled along the sandy floor until it reached the bottom of the ship's hull. Three massive holes shown like dark cave entrances in the ship's hull. The four of them stared up in wonder at the impressive ship. She may have been under the water for many decades, but she was still beautiful. Atem pressed a series of buttons and the ROV underneath the sub came alive. It slipped from its cradle and crawled towards the wreck. Dirk and Austin joined them a few minutes later and guided the ROV into one of the gaping holes. Atem used the monitors inside the sub to thread his way into the ship. Many pieces of the ship littered the deck as the ROV slunk its way forward.

"This must have been the 3rd class deck," Yugi said quietly.

"How can you tell?" Alexander asked.

"The walls are rather plain and there isn't any real decorations here. The first class was often richly decorated, so this must have been either the third class or the crew's quarters," he said.

Atem pointed the ROV into one of the rooms that was open and trinkets of all sorts lay scattered about. There were several suit cases lying on one side of the room. A painting lay on its side in the silt that had accumulated over the years. Tattered remains of furniture lay in various spots in the room. The ROV backed out of the room and started to explore other parts of the ship. The Wades chattered excitedly as Atem directed the ROV from room to room.

"Hey guys?" Dirks voice filtered over the internal communications. Dirk and Austin both had worn dry suits with dive masks that contained a portable radio inside.

"Go ahead," Yugi said.

"We've got a problem," he said.

"What's the matter?"

"Austin's air hose has been cut."

The Wades both had gasped when they heard that and Atem stopped the ROV, his eyes on Yugi.

"Roger that, get topside as soon as possible, but be careful, understand?" he asked.

"Affirmative. Be careful yourselves," Dirk replied.

"Will do," Yugi said, "Pull the ROV back in, Atem. We're heading topside."

"Gotcha," Atem replied.

He began to pull the ROV back through the ship when something caught Yugi's eye.

"Wait, what is that?" he asked as he pointed to something on the screen.

Atem zoomed the ROV's camera in on the object that Yugi was pointing to, "It looks like a locket."

"Grab it with the ROV's hands, we'll take it back with us," Yugi said.

Atem nodded and pressed another button. Invisible hands extended from the ROV and latched onto the locket. As soon as the locket was in the ROV's firm grasp, Atem finished pulling it out of the ship. After depositing the necklace in a basket on the sub, he put the ROV back in its cradle and the sub started on its journey back up to the _Lisa Marie._

_An hour later,_

After the sub had reached the surface and had been pulled back up onto the ship, the four of them had left the sub. Yugi took the locket they found to the lab that was on board the ship to see if they couldn't clean it up. The four of them then went to their separate state rooms. A few minutes later, and Atem and Yugi were back up on the main deck looking at the air tank that Austin was carrying.

"It's definitely been cut," Atem said.

"How can you tell?" Dirk asked.

"The split in the hose is straight. If it had been an accident, the cut would be jagged," he said.

"Oh,"

"Any idea on who did it?" Austin asked. He had buddy breathed with Dirk on their trip up and was rather thankful that they had decided to do things the way they did.

"No, not yet," Atem said.

"We're going to find out though," Yugi said.

* * *

Okay, so a few things first.

I took the information about the Carpathia from wikipedia and from . You can also find the actual letter from Luke Hoyt on . Almost all of the techical information about the Carpathia is true, or at least as true as Wikipedia can guarentee.

Now who cut Austin's air hose?

See you in the next chapter!

Jaa!


	5. Ataxia Empire

Here it is, chapter five! I hope you guys like it!

Oh, and just wanted to let you know, I created another YamixYugi video. You can find the link to my YouTube page on my profile. Go check it out!

Enjoy! See you at the bottom!

* * *

Sanity

Ataxia Empire

"Hey, Mac," Atem said as he walked into the galley.

Mac grunted a greeting without looking up from his cutting board. The sound of a knife hitting wood sounded throughout the kitchen. Atem wove his way through the tables and into the kitchen. The aroma of several different dishes filled his nose as he came to a stop next to Mac. He waited quietly with his hands behind his back as Mac finished roughly chopping up some carrots. He laid his knife down, scooped the carrots up and tossed them into a pot. Grabbing a couple of stalks of celery, he went to grab his knife when his hand bumped it and sent it falling to the floor. Acting purely on reflex, Atem's hand darted out and grabbed the knife before it even touched the floor. He twirled the knife in his hand a couple of times before he held it handle out to Mac.

"It's a half gram heavy in the handle, but not a bad knife," he said with a smile.

"Thanks," Mac said as he grabbed the knife from Atem, "Now what was it that you wanted?"

"Oh, nothing much," he said as he grabbed a small piece of cheese that was lying on a separate cutting board and popping it in his mouth, "Just wondering when dinner was going to be done."

"I'd say, probably in an hour," Mac replied as he started cutting the celery, "How's Austin doing?"

"Doing fine. Thanks to Dirk's quick thinking, they surfaced without any problems," Atem said.

"Good. Being on a ship for over 15 years, I've seen my share of the bends," he replied with a grim nod. (A/N: The bends is a condition that develops if a diver tries to surface too fast. Nitrogen in the blood stream doesn't dissipate quickly enough, causing pain to the diver's joints. Also called Decompression Sickness. In order to prevent it, divers often have a diver's chart or computers that generate the specific amount of time a diver needs to wait at a given spot in order to lower nitrogen levels.)

Atem nodded and reached up to scratch his nose, "My dive instructor once told me that he was diving on an old Spanish frigate and he ended up surfacing too fast. He said the pain was excruciating. He ended up spending a few days in a decompression chamber."

"Yeah, that can happen. You ever experience it?" he asked.

"No, and if I'm lucky, I never will," Atem said.

"Luck has nothing to do with it. If you're smart, and careful, then it won't happen," Mac said.

Atem nodded and went to reach for another piece of cheese. Mac reached over, and with the flat part of his knife, slapped him on the back of the hand. Atem let out a surprised grunt and jerked his hand back.

"Wait until dinner," Mac said.

Atem growled, but let his hand fall back down to his side, "Speaking of dinner, I have a favor to ask."

"Oh, and what would that be?" Mac asked.

"Well…"

_A half an hour later, topside_

Yugi sighed and stared out at the water. He leaned on one of the ships rails, his hands clasped in front of him. He was extremely worried about what happened to Austin's tank. It was definitely sabotage, simply because the line had a straight cut, instead of a jagged one. Atem had assured him that everything was alright, but he was still worried. It meant that someone on the ship wasn't who they appeared to be. The major thing to figure out was to figure out who was who they claimed to be, and who wasn't. He jumped slightly when he felt arms wrap around his waist, but he quickly relaxed into the embrace as he felt Atem's consciousness brush against his.

_Mmmm, a penny for your thoughts,_ he said through the link.

Yugi sighed and closed his eyes, _I'm just worried._

_Don't worry, Hikari, nothing bad is going to happen,_ Atem replied.

Yugi let his love's voice wash over his mind, soothing his fears. He knew that Atem would make sure that nothing happened, but he couldn't help the feeling of dread that filled his gut. He surprised Atem suddenly when he turned in his arms and captured the older one's lips with his own. The kiss was passionate and full of love. They were both panting slightly when the kiss broke and Atem stared down into amethyst eyes.

_What was that for?_ He asked.

Yugi stared into Atem's crimson eyes for a moment before he answered; _I love you, that's all._

_I love you too,_ Atem whispered as he rested his forehead on the others, _Come on, let's go get ready for dinner._

Yugi nodded and allowed Atem to lead him to their state room to get washed up and ready for dinner.

_The Galley, half an hour later,_

"Something smells good!" Alexander said as he and Stephanie walked into the galley.

Mac smiled and cut off slices of prime rib, "I hope you're hungry."

"Starving," he replied as they took seats.

A few minutes later, and the rest of the group walked into the room. Atem and Yugi walked in first, followed by Dirk, Austin, Tim and Laura. The group sat down at the same table as the Wades and started to chat. Atem and Yugi struck up a conversation with Dirk about his experience on board the _Lisa Marie_. Austin, Tim and Laura started a debate about a new medical procedure, while the Wades listened intently. Eventually Mac came around and started to serve them dinner. The smells of prime rib, mash potatoes, steamed vegetables, and fresh cooked bread filled the air. Agave Tequila accompanied the delicious meal. They started to eat when Yug watched Atem give an almost imperceptible nod to Mac.

"Stephanie, Laura? I left something in the kitchen, think you could give me a hand bringing it out?" he asked.

"Sure, Mac," Stephanie said.

"What'd you forget this time, Mac," Laura joked as the three stood up and made their way into the kitchen.

"Just the most important part of the meal…" Mac said.

Their voices filtered away as they got farther and farther away from the group.

"Typical Mac to forget something," Tim said with a shake of his head.

Yugi raised an eyebrow at Atem and tilted his head in a silent question. His eyes went glassy for a second and then he too gave a small nod. If anyone had been paying attention, they would have noticed how Atem's eyes had also gone glassy for a slight moment. Most of the group had gone back to eating when Yugi and Atem stood up and yanked them down right as bullets flew by where their heads had been moments before. They heard swearing and two sets of feet dashing away. Atem and Dirk stood up, and with a single look, tore off after the shooters. Yugi and the others stood up and Alexander started to panic.

"Stephanie!" he exclaimed.

"In the freezer with Laura and Mac. Atem asked Mac to take them in there before dinner," Yugi replied.

"Wait, so he knew this would happen?" he asked as he stared at the tri haired youth.

Yugi nodded. They heard muffled shouts from out in the corridor and the group ran out to investigate. Atem had his knee pressed into the back of one of the shooters, while Dirk wrestled the other shooter to the ground. The Captain came after he heard the gunshots and handed each of them a pair of hand cuffs. A few seconds passed and they all heard cursing coming from behind them. They turned and watched as a white haired man pushed another person in cuffs ahead of him.

"Bakura!" Yugi exclaimed as he smiled at the white haired man.

"Hey short stuff," he replied with a grin before he turned to Atem, "Oh, sure, leave the tough guy to me, why don't ya?"

Atem flashed him a grin, "I knew you could handle it."

Bakura rolled his eyes.

"What's going on here?" Captain asked.

"Why don't we go back in the galley, and I'll explain," Atem said.

The group filed back into the galley and the three of them roughly pushed their captives into chairs. Mac and the girls came out from the kitchen.

"Is it okay to come out?" Laura asked.

"It's safe," Atem called.

The three of them came out and Stephanie gasped.

"Tim? Austin? Don't tell me…" she said.

Atem nodded, "Yes, the two that tried to kill us are none other than Tim and Austin."

The group exchanged looks and then stared at their captives.

"Care to explain?" Dirk asked, his voice filled with anger.

"I suppose it's best to start at the beginning," Atem said as he motioned for them all to sit down, "First of all, Yugi and I are not dive experts. We're professional assassins sent here to protect the Wades. The Wades are Hikari and Yami, just like us. We got a report that Hikari's and Yami's all over the world have been disappearing. A friend figured out that you two were the next ones in line. When we heard that you were going to be coming here for your honeymoon, we got the captain to agree to let us come and act as dive experts on the ship."

"The only ones who knew of our identities were the Captain, Dirk and Austin," Yugi said, "Dirk and Austin are Navy Seals hired to help us. Or so we thought."

"We knew that there would be someone on the ship who would make an attempt on your lives," Atem said, "We just didn't know who. I had an idea yesterday when Austin's tank was sabotaged. After we surfaced, I went and checked out the hose from his tank. Upon closer inspection, I figured out that the only way for it to be cut was if the person wearing the tank had reached behind them and cut the hose."

He reached behind him as if to cut an imaginary hose on his back.

"From there, we knew that they'd make an attack on us today," Yugi said.

"Why didn't they just kill us while we were in the sub?" Alexander asked as he held Stephanie close.

"They couldn't. You see, we had dived ahead of schedule, making it so that way they didn't have time to do anything to the sub. Plus, they thought that you would be using scuba suits instead of the sub," Atem said.

"They weren't expecting us to come on board," Yugi said, "When they realized that we wouldn't be scuba diving, they had to change plans. They didn't count on us launching ahead of time."

"What about this guy?" Bakura asked as he kicked the chair holding the guy that he had captured.

"They smuggled him on board last night," Atem said with a shrug, "He was in the Wades room waiting for them."

Stephanie's eyes widened, "You mean they could have killed us in our sleep?"

Yugi shook his head, "No. We would have heard the commotion and come running. There wouldn't have been anytime to escape."

"So they decided to wait until we sat down for dinner," Atem said, "These two would kill us here, while this one would ransack our rooms, looking for any clues on who else might have been Hikari's."

"How did you know they were going to attack?" Laura asked as she tended to a wound on Bakura's arm that he had gotten while fighting the guy in the Wade's room.

"They told us," Atem said.

"What?" Captain demanded.

"We intercepted this message," Bakura said as he handed the Captain a small piece of paper.

"Initial attack failure. Will proceed with plan B tonight at 1900 hours," he read.

The group fell silent as they pondered just how close they came to being killed if it hadn't been for the two look-a-likes. Dirk stepped forward and growled at Austin, "Why?"

Austin's face twisted into a sneer as he glared at him, "You wouldn't understand the benefits the Ataxia Empire would have given us if we had been successful."

"Ataxia Empire?" Yugi asked.

"A new magnificent empire that you will never live to see," Austin snarled.

"With the evidence that we have against you, neither will you," Atem growled.

"I'll never see the inside of a cell," Austin laughed.

Atem raised a perfect eyebrow, "No amount of lawyers are going to keep you out of jail."

"You don't understand, Mr. Atenkaten," Tim spoke up for the first time. He flicked his tongue out, a small pill balancing on the edge of it. He pulled it back in and said, "Cyanide pills. We won't live to see the outside of this room."

The three of them bit down on the pills, releasing the cyanide into their systems. Atem quickly leaned forward and whispered into Tim and Austin's ears, "We already know about your disgusting Ataxia Empire. I will make sure that it personally falls by my hands."

He leaned back and watched with satisfaction as their eyes widened and their mouths fell open before the cyanide kicked in and killed them. Their eyes went blank and they all sagged against the chairs."

Laura sighed and stepped forward, "Better get them down to the infirmary. I'm going to have to put them in the cooler in order to keep their bodies from rotting."

The Captain nodded and called a couple of the ships hands to the galley, where they carted the bodies down to the infirmary. Laura trailed behind them, deep in discussion with the Captain.

"What did you whisper to them?" Yugi asked as he scooted closer to Atem and wrapped his arms around him.

"Nothing you need to be concerned about," Atem replied.

Bakura approached the two and crossed his arms, "Well, I guess it's back to Japan to see who exactly the Ataxia Empire is."

* * *

Ok, so I need some help. I want to come up with a name for the group. (AtemxYugi, BakuraxRyou, MalikxMarik, SerenaxWynter all of them) but I have no idea as to what.

So here's the thing, could you all send me some suggestions on what you think they should be named? I really don't know what to call them, so pretty please, help me?

I really appreciate it!

Let me know what you think!

Jaa!


	6. Dark Watch

I apologize for the long chapter, but there was so much that I wanted to get in.

This has to be the longest chapter I've ever written. It certainly is for this story anyhow!

I hope you guys like it!

Enjoy!

* * *

Sanity

Dark Watch

"_Lisa Marie_, this is the _USS Roosevelt_, do you copy?" a voice sounded over the radio.

Captain picked up the mike and spoke into it, "We read you, _Roosevelt_, go ahead."

"Roger, _Lisa Marie_, we're here to pick up your cargo, as scheduled," the voice said again, "Prepare to be boarded."

"Copy that, we'll leave the door open for you," Captain said as he laid the mike back down.

"Roger, over."

Captain turned around and left the radio room. He walked down several different hallways before he reached the outer deck. A frigid wind blasted his face as he made his way across deck and up the stairs to the bridge. He pulled the top part of his coat closed against the freezing wind and opened the door. Quickly hurrying inside, he closed the door behind him and made his way over to the helm.

"Speed?"

"A little fewer than 12 knots, sir," came the reply.

"Decrease speed to under 5 knots. When you see the Navy Destroyer off the bow, decrease speed to zero and cut engines," he said with a swift nod.

"Understood, sir."

He lingered on the bridge for a few moments more until he felt the telltale slowing of the ship. He turned on his heel and exited the bridge. He practically ran across deck to get out of the cold wind. It had started out as a beautiful day, but had gotten worse. A storm was coming, and the Captain wanted to get out of the area as fast as his ship would allow. Unfortunately he had to wait until the United States Navy showed up and taken their cargo. If you could call three professional assassins, a navy seal, three dead bodies, and the Wades cargo. He entered the same door he had exited after he got done in the radio room and hurried down some more of the passages through the ship. He strode into the galley and stopped next to Atem.

"You're rides almost here," Captain said, "Do you have everything you need?"

"Thank you, Captain, and yes we do," Atem said with a small nod.

"No you don't!" a voice sounded from the kitchen.

Atem and the Captain shared a confused look before Mac came out of the kitchen carrying a box.

"Gods know what kind of food you're going to get on that blasted destroyer. Here's some real food for you," Mac said as he handed Atem the box. Inside were all kinds of food. Everything from omelets to cheesecake.

Atem chuckled and offered Mac a grin as he set the box down on the table, "Thanks Mac. We'll put it to good use."

"You better," Mac said as he hugged Atem, "Oh and one more thing."

He pulled out a knife from behind his back and handed it to Atem, "Thought you might like this. Think of it as something to remember me by."

Atem took the knife and twirled around on his palm. The grin widened as he replied, "Still heavy on the back end."

"All the more reason to remember me," Mac said, a grin crossing his face.

Yugi walked over to the three of them and smiled, "I'm certainly going to miss you Mac."

"I'm going to miss you too. You definitely made the ship brighter," Mac said as he tousled the smaller one's hair.

Yugi swiped at Mac's hand as Atem chuckled, "He does that a lot."

Yugi blushed as he noticed the mischievous glint in Atem's eyes, "Oh, hush, Atem."

The group chuckled and Mac swept Yugi up into a hug. The younger one squeaked and laughed as he hugged the strange cook back, "Take good care of the Captain, for us, okay?"

"Will do," Mac replied as he let go of Yugi.

Atem turned and shook hands with the Captain, "Thank you, Captain, for putting up with us."

"Capture those bastards, and you'll be welcome back on my ship any time," Captain said.

"You have my word," Atem replied.

"We'll keep the light on and the tequila cold," Captain said with a nod.

"Thanks,"

A voice over the ships intercom came on and a voice announced, "Captain, ships arrived, and requesting space for HELO landing."

The Captain walked over to a panel on the wall of the galley and pressed a button, "Roger that, tell the pilot to land on the stern deck."

"Your ride's here," he said as he turned to the group.

"Thank you Captain," they said as they exited the galley. The Captain crossed his arms as Mac came up next to him to stand beside him.

"They're going to need a lot of luck," Mac said.

"No, they're going to need prayers, and a lot of 'em."

Yugi and Atem were on their way topside when they came across Bakura and Dirk towing their three dead captives.

"I thought you guys were already top side?" Yugi asked.

"No, not yet. Had a couple of things we needed to get before we could leave," Dirk replied.

"Hmmm…" Atem said. He looked at them for a second and then turned around and walked away.

The rest of the group followed him up to the main deck where the helicopter was waiting to take them to the _USS Roosevelt._ They walked out into the freezing air and were met by a soldier in uniform. Atem nodded at him and he led the way to the helicopter. No words were said because they couldn't say anything. The wind had picked up so much that it was next to impossible to be heard. They ran across the deck and climbed inside the HELO. The soldier, along with a couple of others, loaded the bodies of the attackers into the back of the chopper. With one last wave to the Captain and Mac, who were now in the bridge, the chopper lifted and zoomed away from the ship, leaving the _Lisa Marie_ far behind. Now that they were out of the wind, the group was able to get a look at the soldier that had led them to the chopper. He was regular height, about 5'9" from the looks of it. He had sharp blue eyes and red hair. He handed each of them a pair of headphones that had microphones attached to it.

"I assume this is all of the group?" his voice coming off as scratchy over the headphones.

"Yes, sir, it is," Atem replied.

"Good, my name is Lieutenant Mark Bourne," he said.

"I'm Atem Atenkaten, this is Yugi, Bakura, Dirk, and our three captives," Atem said as he pointed at each of them.

Lieutenant Bourne nodded, "We'll reach the _Roosevelt_ soon. ETA, 15 minutes."

The group nodded. Bakura and Dirk engaged into a conversation with the Lieutenant about the ship, while Yugi looked out the window. Atem reached over and wrapped his arm around the smaller one.

_How are you doing, hikari?_ Atem's voice sounded in his mind.

_I'm doing fine, Yami. I can't wait until we reach the ship. I've always wanted to see what a destroyer was like,_ Yugi replied.

Atem nuzzled Yugi's hair, _You'll see soon enough._

_What are we going to do about our dead friends?_ Yugi asked.

Atem paused in his nuzzling and gazed at the back of the chopper. He thought for a moment before he replied, _We'll have to turn them over to authorities. See if they can identify them._

Yugi nodded and leaned against Atem. The two returned to looking out the window. The endless stretch of ocean seemed like it went on forever and that land was never there. Soon, however, a grey speck appeared on the horizon and grew bigger, signaling their approach to the ship. Within a few minutes, the Lieutenant was announcing their approach and everyone looked out the windows as the chopper circled the ship before setting down on the deck. The group filed out and some soldiers pulled the bodies out and carried them down to the ships infirmary, where they were going to be stored until they reached port. An old man with grey crew cut hair and even greyer eyes waited in front of them. The group stopped in front of him and Dirk saluted.

"I'm Commander Seth Marcelino," he said, "I'm in charge of the ship. Welcome aboard the _USS Roosevelt_."

"Thank you for helping us out, Commander," Atem said as he shook hands.

"You're boss must have a lot of pull in order to pull us off of our assigned duties to come pick you up," the Commander said as he turned and began to walk away. The group quickly followed.

"Funny, someone else said that exact thing," Atem said with a side glance to Dirk, who smiled sheepishly.

"Yes, well, to commandeer a fully equipped Naval Destroy in wartime, he must have a lot of pull," the Commander replied.

"Trust me sir, even we do not have any clue as to the extent of our boss's reach," Atem said with a smile.

"So who are you, exactly?" the Commander said as they reached the bridge.

Atem stopped and motioned throughout the group, "I'm Atem Atenkaten, this is Yugi, Bakura, Navy Seal Dirk Johnson, and Mr. and Mrs. Wade. They're civilians."

"And you three?" the Commander asked as he motioned to Atem, Yugi and Bakura.

"We're professional assassins, sir," Yugi answered.

The Commander looked at the three of them carefully for a moment and then shook his head, "Well, if you are assassins, you have to be the weirdest group of assassins that I've ever seen."

"We get that a lot," Yugi replied.

And with that, the interrogation was over. The group made their way through many of the ships decks to their assigned quarters. Unlike the _Lisa Marie_, the _USS Roosevelt_ had bunk rooms instead of state rooms. There were several metal beds attached to the wall, along with lockers and several small tables set up throughout the room. The group's belongings had already been taken down to the rooms and was now sitting on the floor waiting for it to be unpacked.

"From the awed looks that I noticed on the way down here, I take it none of you have ever been on a Destroyer before," the Commander said with an amused look.

"No, sir, we have not," Atem replied.

"When you're unpacked, I'll give you the grand tour," the Commander replied.

The group nodded and he left them to their devices for a while. The group unpacked for their few days' worth of staying on the _USS Roosevelt._ Curiosity got the best of Yugi and he opened the box that Mac had packed for them. Inside was a full bottle of Agave Tequila, lobster tails, rice, vegetables, and for dessert a thick chocolate cheesecake. The rest of the group peered over his shoulder. Bakura immediately grabbed the Tequila and drank a little.

"Isn't it a little early for that, Tomb Robber?" Atem asked.

"It's never too early for me," Bakura replied as he took another swig of the drink.

Yugi shot him a look and Bakura reluctantly put the bottle back and the smaller one closed the box back up. He placed on the floor by his bed and warned Bakura that if he touched the box before dinner time, Yugi was going to take the Tequila away and he wouldn't see it for the rest of the trip. Bakura grumbled, but finally agreed not to touch it.

"Speaking of things, we never did get to ask where Ryou was," Atem remarked.

"He's back in Japan with Kaiba trying to figure out who our adversary is," Bakura replied with a shrug.

"That reminds me," Yugi said with a snap of his fingers, "We've got to radio Kaiba and tell him about Ataxia Empire."

"We'll ask the Commander when he shows up," Atem said.

"Ask me what?" a voice said from behind them.

"Is there a radio or a satellite phone that we could use? We've got to talk to our boss," Bakura asked.

"There's a satellite phone in the radio room. You can use it when we go by there," the Commander replied.

"Thank you,"

"Are you ready?" he asked.

The group nodded and they proceeded to learn the layout of the ship.

_An hour later, the radio room_

"Yeah, we understand. Don't worry, we'll be careful. Make sure that everyone over there is safe," Yugi said over the phone.

"I will. See you back here soon," Joey's voice floated over the satellite phone.

"Yep, see ya," Yugi said.

"Bye."

Yugi hung up the phone and sighed. He turned in his chair and got up. The rest of the group was in the bridge with the Commander. He had given them the tour and when they reached the radio room, Yugi volunteered to contact Kaiba while they finished the tour. He explained that he would see the rest of the ship as time wore on. From what he understood, or what the Commander had explained anyways, the _Roosevelt_ 510 ft Destroyer ship for the United States Navy. It had a total displacement of 9204 tons and housed 348 enlisted men and women, 32 of which were officers. She was commissioned in October of 2000 and was named after the 32nd American President and his wife, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt. She had missile capabilities as well as torpedo launchers. She also housed two Sea Hawk helicopters, one of which had come and picked them up. Yugi made his way up to the bridge, with a little help from some of the crew. He opened the door and walked inside. The group looked up from what the Commander was showing them and he silently walked over to them. The Commander finished and the group turned to him.

"I didn't get a hold of Kaiba. I got Joey instead," Yugi said, "He promised to look into Ataxia Empire and see what he could find out."

"Good. I want to know who these bastards are," Bakura growled.

"I agree," Atem nodded.

"You're friends filled me in on what's happening," the Commander said, "I'll help you out as much as I can."

"Thank you, Commander," Yugi replied.

The Commander nodded. The group decided to go back to their bunks to lay down for a bit. It had been an exciting past few days, and they all were feeling rather tired. The Commander agreed and told them that he'd wake them up in time for dinner.

_Several days later_

The Lieutenant hurried through the hallways of the ship to get to the bridge. He had an urgent message for the Commander. The radio room had picked up on a distress signal coming from a cruise ship about 50 miles to their starboard. They were the closest ones to the ship, so the Lieutenant was on his way to see if the Commander wanted to go rescue any survivors. He walked quickly to the bridge and almost slammed the door open.

"Commander, we've got a mayday coming over the radio," he said as he saluted the Commander, "A cruise ship 50 miles starboard is in trouble."

"What's the problem?" the Commander asked.

"From what we gathered, the cruise ship was hijacked and then damaged. Her hull was destroyed with several explosives. She's taking on water fast. There are few survivors," the Lieutenant replied.

"How many?" the Commander asked.

"Out of 134, 5 are still alive sir," the Lieutenant replied.

"Holy sh… what happened over there?" the Commander asked.

"I'm not sure, sir," the Lieutenant replied.

"Hail the ship, tell them we're on our way as quick as we can. Tell them to be on deck when we arrive," the Commander said.

"Yes, sir," he replied.

"Oh, and Lieutenant, alert our guests that we'll be taking on extra passengers. Perhaps they can help them," the Commander said.

"Yes, sir."

The Lieutenant quickly left the room and dashed down to the radio room to relay the message.

Meanwhile, the commander turned to the helm, "Full speed ahead. 30 degrees to starboard."

"Yes sir,"

He walked over to a console and picked up an intercom mike, "This is the Commander. We've received a distress signal. Prepare to take on boarders."

He set the mike down and looked out at the sea. He prayed that they made it in time.

_Down in the crew quarters_

"What's going on?" Yugi asked.

The group had heard the Commanders short message over the ships comm.'s and were now wondering what was going on. Atem volunteered to go up and see what the commotion was all about when the Lieutenant burst into the room.

"Lieutenant, what's going on?" Stephanie Wade asked as they crowded around him.

"We've received a distress signal from a cruise ship 50 miles from our present position. Since we're the closest ones to her, we're going to go pick up any survivors that are left," he replied.

"How can we help?" Alexander asked.

"The Commander was hoping that you would help calm the survivors. The ship was hijacked and has been pretty much scuttled," he replied.

"Scuttled?" Stephanie asked.

"It means that the ship has been destroyed. She's taking on water and will sink quickly," Dirk supplied.

"Yes, exactly. There are only about 5 survivors from what the radio messages we've received says," the Lieutenant replied.

"Out of how many?" Atem asked.

"134,"

"Shit, what the hell happened?" Bakura asked softly.

"That's what we'd like to know," the Lieutenant said.

_Cruise ship Dark Watch_

The _Roosevelt_ approached the cruise ship slowly. From his spot in the bridge, the Commander could see that the survivors were on deck and waiting for them. The ship itself was listing greatly to port and the stern was starting to go down. He ordered one of the HELO's launched and directed it to land on the bow and pick up any remaining survivors. A team was assembled to do a quick search over the ship for anything that might be helpful. Included in the team was Dirk, who volunteered his services to the Commander while they were on board. The HELO lifted off and flew the few feet that were separating the two ships. After some precarious planning, it landed on the cluttered deck of the bow. Despite there being more room on the stern part of the ship, a fire had encompassed much of that part of the deck. The team scrambled from chopper and immediately spread out. Half of the group fanned out over the deck and searched for the survivors. The entire deck was cluttered with dead bodies, upturned chairs, and remains of lifeboats that had been set on fire. From the looks of things, that was what had caused the fire on the stern deck. The team spread out, intent on searching for the survivors. Lieutenant Bourne shoved aside a couple of deck chairs and stepped over the body of what appeared to be a small child. His gut twisted in disgust. What kind of person could shoot a helpless child? Apparently who ever had taken control of this ship didn't want anyone left alive. So how had the five people they were looking for survived? He shoved another chair out of the way and immediately stepped back and drew his gun up. In front of him stood a woman. She had long blonde hair and turquoise blue eyes. Her dress was white and had small roses embedded in it, though it appeared to be ripped across the shoulder area. She was covered in dirt and was barefoot. Her eyes were wide in fright as she stared at the Lieutenant. He lowered his gun and slowly approached her.

"Are you the woman that hailed us over the radio?" he asked her gently.

The woman nodded, her eyes still wide, but less frightful.

"We're here to help you off the ship. Can you tell me where the rest of the survivors are?" he asked.

She turned and pointed to the bridge of the ship. The Lieutenant quickly sent a message over the radio that was connected to his outfit and gently clasped his hand around the woman's arm. He led her back to the chopper and had her sit down inside while he went to help check for the others.

Dirk had been with the other half of the team. Their goal was to look for anything that might tell them of what happened aboard the ship. Each man in this section of the team had a small bag attached to their belts. Dirk bent down and picked up several shell casings along with a small device. He looked at it for a moment before placing it in the bag. He made his way towards the bridge. He slowly walked in and, without giving much regard to the bodies of the captain and crew, searched the bridge for anything suspicious. He found it in a small box that was attached to the underside of the helm. Inside was what looked like the charred remains of a small explosive device. That explained why the ship was unable to be steered. He deposited the box in the bag and headed out of the bridge. He didn't have much time to look elsewhere seeing as the command to head back to the chopper filtered over his radio. He and the rest of the team quickly ran across the deck and climbed in the chopper. The blades started to whirl and it lifted off the deck. The team had found all five survivors and watched as the once beautiful cruise ship gave one last groan before disappearing below the waves, lost forever to the sea. They had made it just in time.

_USS Roosevelt, 30 minutes later._

The chopper landed on the landing pad of the ship. The team helped the survivors down to the sick bay and from there the doctors took control. The mysterious woman that had first hailed them over the radio was deemed to be fine. A little exhausted and in need of food and water, but other than that, she was given a clean bill of health. The other survivors were forced to stay in the infirmary because they all had inhaled a little too much smoke and were told that they needed to breathe pure oxygen for the night. The Commander had asked Yugi and Atem to help the woman get adjusted to the ship. Yugi knocked on the door of the infirmary and waited for a moment before a muffled "come in" filtered through the door. He walked in and Atem trailed behind him. Yugi spoke with the head doctor for the ship, who filled him in on the condition of the woman they saved. Other than in need of rest, food and water, the only thing that seemed wrong with her was the fact that she was still frightened a bit. Yugi reassured the doctor that he would do whatever he could to make her feel right at home. He walked over to the curtain that hid her from the rest of the infirmary and gently pulled it away a little as he gingerly stepped inside. The woman sat on the edge of a bed, her back to Yugi. Her dress had been traded in for a simple hospital gown.

"Miss?" he asked.

The woman turned around and studied him for a moment. She was stunned at the man that stood before her. She could not deny that Yugi held an air of beauty. His hair was a beautiful array of colors that seemed to shimmer if she looked at it just right, and his eyes were absolutely gorgeous. They're violet hue sparkled with innocence, laughter and love.

"My name is Yugi," he said softly, "I came to bring you some clothes and to show you around the ship."

"Thank you. My name is Layla Grey," she replied with a smile, "I appreciate the clothes."

"You're welcome, Layla. That's a pretty name," he replied, "It's Egyptian for one "born at night," right?"

"That's very good," she said, surprise showing in her eyes, "You know Egyptian?"

"Well, I have to be truthful; I learned it from my lover, the one whose clothes I gave you," he replied with a smile, "He knows Egyptian and has been… teaching me, in a sense. You'll meet him after you get dressed, which I'll leave you to do now."

She smiled gratefully as he opened the curtain and left. She barely glanced at the clothes she was given, choosing instead to be happy that she was given something else besides that dress she wore. She always hated wearing dresses. The jeans and sweatshirt she was given suited her more than anything. After she was done, she opened the curtain and stepped out. She had taken a shower before Yugi and Atem had arrived, so her hair had dried a little. It now fell in waves down her back, making her seem like an everyday goddess. She stopped and stared in awe at the sight before her. Yugi was leaning up against a man that looked a lot like him. There were a few minute details that were different, but it wasn't his appearance that had made her stare. It was the scene that she witnessed that caused that. Yugi was leaning into the man that she could only assume to be Atem. Yugi had his arms around Atem's broad shoulders and had his head turned to the side, his face buried in Atem's neck. Atem himself had his arms wrapped possessively around the smaller ones waist and his own face was buried in Yugi's hair. She couldn't see his eyes, but if they were anything like the rest of what she saw, she had no doubt that they were just as exotic. It struck her as absolutely beautiful and it took little effort to imagine the two in a grand Egyptian palace, standing just like they were now, with the sunset falling behind the Great Pyramids in the background. She suddenly itched to draw them just as she imagined, but realized that she would have to do it later, seeing as they were in the infirmary and she had no drawing paper.

The clearing of a throat brought the two look-a-likes out of the daze they had fallen into while they waited for her to get dressed. Atem opened his eyes and Layla gasped. She had a feeling they would be as exotic as the rest of him, but she wasn't prepared for the blood red, crimson color that seemed to stare directly into her soul. She recovered a moment later and smiled softly.

"You two make a beautiful couple, you know that?"

She watched as a blush crept its way onto Yugi's face as he buried his head into his lovers shoulder. Atem smiled in amusement as his eyes turned to the smaller one in his arms. She tilted her head and the urge to draw them became even greater as she saw the love fill both of their eyes as they stared at each other. She waited patiently as the two kissed briefly before disentangling themselves.

The blush still very much in place, Yugi turned and smiled warmly at her, "Layla, this is my one and only, Atem."

"Nice to meet you," she said as she approached him and held out her hand.

"Likewise," Atem said as he shook her hand.

She tilted her head and studied the two, almost as if she were deep in thought, "May I ask a question?"

Atem nodded and Yugi replied with a simple, "Sure."

"Would you two be willing to pose for me later? I really want to draw you," she said.

Atem and Yugi looked at each other. They're eyes dulled for a moment before Yugi turned back to Layla, "Sure, we'd love to."

"Great," she said happily. A glimmer of joy lighting up her eyes, "Well, I'm ready to go."

"Alright, let's go."

_An hour later_

Layla sat in her room and sighed. Granted, it was nothing like the room on board the _Dark Watch_, but she very much preferred the simple one here to that one. That one was overly extravagant. Unlike the rest of her family, she preferred the simple things. This fact often made her the ridicule of her siblings, but she didn't mind. As long as she had a pad of paper, and a pencil, she was content to put up with whatever they dished out at her. Which was also the reason why she had gotten a smaller amount of the inheritance than the rest of them had. Sure, it was still shockingly high for a normal person (18 million dollars) but she didn't care. She had bought herself a small cottage in a fishing village along the eastern seaboard of America and the only time she left was when her brother had called her back to the company he had inherited for some kind of business. What money she had left had gone to charities, except for a little bit for her to live on. She was more than content to spend hours by the sea, just drawing whatever came to mind. And that brought her back to her current thoughts. She so desperately wanted to draw Yugi and Atem. They made the most perfect couple, and even a blind man could see that. The two loved each other more than anyone she had ever encountered. She could also sense that their bond was more than just lovers, but she wasn't going to say anything. She signed again as she ran her hand over the paper that Yugi had given her earlier. It was perfect. It couldn't be too smooth, like printer paper, because the pencil had a tendency to smug, and if it was too rough, it'd rip. Somehow, some way that she didn't know, Yugi had found just the right grade of paper for her. She gripped the paper in one hand and a stack of pencils in her other hand, thanks to Yugi once again, she stood up and headed out of her room. Walking down several hallways, carefully not getting lost, she finally reached the room where the two were staying. She paused for a moment before knocking on the door. A flurry of voices sounded on the other side before the door was finally opened. A grinning Yugi greeted her.

"Layla! Come in!" he exclaimed happily.

She cast him a wary smile and looked at Atem.

"He's slightly hyper," Atem explained.

"Oh," she said as she nodded, "Well, I hope you'll be able to sit still, Yugi."

"Don't worry," he said, "I'll be as still as a pyramid."

She heard Atem chuckle and she herself smiled, "Alright, well why don't you two get comfortable?"

"Any particular way you want us?" Atem asked.

"Whatever feels comfortable to you," she said with a small shake of her head.

The two nodded and immediately began to get comfortable. Atem sat down on a chair and pulled Yugi into his lap. Yugi closed his eyes in contentment as he felt Atem's arms wrap around his middle. Atem rested his head on the smaller ones shoulder, his eyes half open. Yugi tilted his head to the side, his face nuzzling Atem's hair for a moment before he settled. He opened his eyes and they too stared at Layla. She smiled and studied the pair for a moment.

She opened the paper that Yugi gave her and immediately set to drawing the two just as she imagined. Her pencil ghosted over the paper silently. Every now and again she would glance up at the two, judging whether or not what she had drawn was what she saw. Yugi nuzzled Atem's hair slightly again, making sure not to move too much, and his darker half hummed quietly in his throat. The two waited patiently as Layla continued to draw. The picture on the paper slowly began to take shape. She kept glancing up and then back down at the paper, darkening it in some places and erasing to make another thing lighter. She looked up one last time before she set her pencil down and blew lightly on the paper to get rid of the eraser pieces. She smiled in satisfaction while the two look-a-likes stood and stretched. Yugi was eager to see what she had drawn and had almost immediately walked over to her. She handed the pad to him and he gasped in surprise.

She had drawn them in Ancient Egypt. He felt Atem move behind him and stare at the picture too. The two of them were in a stone room that had a single window behind them. A sunset was slowly falling behind them, the sun sinking down behind a very realistic version of the Sphinx. It was what they were wearing that made Yugi stare in awe. Atem was dressed in regal clothing. He wore a beautiful crown that had a very detailed Eye of Horus embedded in the metal, that Yugi assumed could only be gold. Around his neck, a gold choker, adorned with several different gems. He wore no shirt. A bracelet circled his upper arm and one of his wrists. From what Yugi could see, he wore a plain white kilt that had a sash to it and his feet were bare. Yugi himself was wearing billowy, almost see through pants. They were attached to his ankles with golden anklets. The top of the pants sat low on his hips and he too wore no shirt, a simple vest covering his arms and shoulders. A single gem hung from the only button on the vest. His belly was exposed. Around his head he wore a smaller version of the crown that Atem wore. He had on two small bracelets and a matching pair of earrings. She had captured the love she had seen earlier. Even though both of their eyes were half closed, they held such love that it took Yugi's breath away. Atem had his arms around Yugi's waist and his chin was resting on his shoulder. Yugi's own face was buried slightly in Atem's hair.

He felt Atem slip an arm around his waist, "It's beautiful."

"Thank you," she replied softly.

"It's amazing," Atem whispered as he stood behind Yugi, his eyes transfixed on the drawing.

"I tried to capture the love you two feel for each other," she said.

Atem tore his gaze away from the picture, "You certainly did that."

She smiled as she gathered up her pencils. Yugi closed the pad and handed it back to her. She gently took it, "Well, I'm going to head to bed. I guess I'll see you in the morning."

"Alright," Yugi said with a nod, "Goodnight."

"Night," she whispered as she left the room.

_A few days later_

A few days had passed since Layla had drawn the picture of the two together. The other survivors had been released from the infirmary and were being very helpful around the ship. They had helped make dinner, cleaned, even helping the soldiers practice drills. Yugi, Atem, Bakura and Dirk were currently in the radio room talking to Joey on the satellite phone. It appeared that Kaiba had found out some stuff about their mysterious Ataxia Empire and had Joey contact the group to tell them.

"What do you mean that's it?" Bakura growled.

"That's exactly what I mean," Joey replied, "Ataxia Empire is a fully legitimate business. They own several oil fields, coal mines, and some desalting plants in the Mediterranean, but that's it. There is nothing else to them."

"There has to be something," Yugi said.

"There isn't. All I can say is no one has been able to penetrate their defenses," Joey replied.

"What do you mean?" Atem asked.

"Well, they have the appropriate paper trail, but there's little beyond that. There are no stocks in the company, there's no overspending from the company, nothing. Anyone who's attempted to join the company is given an extensive, and I mean CIA extensive background check," Joey said, "I've check with my contacts, and they say that even the CIA hasn't been able to infiltrate the Empire."

"So you're saying that we're dealing with someone tougher than the "Organization?" Yugi asked.

"Yes, a lot tougher," Joey said, "There's one other thing. I did manage to find out who owns the company. His name is Acario Grey."

"Shit!" Bakura exclaimed suddenly, "Now I know why her name was so familiar."

"You don't think…" Dirk began.

Bakura leapt up from his chair and headed for the door, "Yes, that's exactly what I think. Layla Grey is related to Acario Grey. He's her brother!"

* * *

Shock! What's going to happen next?

See you in the next chapter! :)

*Waves* Jaa!


	7. Missing

Sorry it took so long to post this. I was having a minor case of writers block on it. Hopefully it won't decide to extend itself.

The beginning is a little rough, sorry about that. I blame it on the writers block.

Enjoy!

* * *

Sanity

Missing

"What!" Atem shouted as he took off into a run and followed Bakura out the door. Dirk and Yugi looked at each other before both darted out the door. They raced after Bakura, who headed down one passageway after another. He slid to a stop in front of Layla's room. Without bothering to knock, he slammed the door open. The room was empty. There was nothing, not even a rumpled pillow.

"Empty," he growled, "she's gone."

Yugi's gaze traveled over the entire room. It was as if nobody had ever been there to begin with. His gaze rested on the only table in the room.

"Not completely empty," he said.

"Wha…?" Bakura asked.

Yugi merely ignored him and walked over to the table. There was a piece of paper, face down on it. Attached to the back was a small sticky note. He picked up the paper and tore the note off and handed it to Atem.

"Yugi, Atem, I'm sorry, please forgive me. Layla," Atem read.

"Atem," Yugi whispered.

Atem glanced over at the paper in Yugi's hands. It was the drawing that she had made of them. Atem growled and whirled around.

"Bakura, go to the other survivors rooms. See if their still there. Dirk, go to the infirmary. I have a hunch," he said.

"Right," they said in unison before they both fled out of the room.

Atem crumpled the sticky note up in his hand. His eyes fixed on the floor, unseeing as anger coursed through him. His eyes had turned a blood red color, darkened by the frustration that filled every part of him.

"Damn it," he snarled, "I should have seen this coming! I was foolish to think we'd be safe here. After everything we've been through, I should have known…"

Yugi gripped the drawing in his hands as Atem continued to rant. He turned and walked over to the older one. He gently slid a hand into the hand that wasn't clutching the note and Atem immediately calmed.

"Atem, listen to me. You didn't know. _We_ didn't know. Anyone would have thought it to be pure coincidence," he whispered.

"But…" Atem said as he turned to Yugi and pulled the smaller one into his arms.

Yugi wrapped his arms around his taller look-a-like and buried his hands into satin like hair. He gently kissed Atem's forehead, "No buts. We had no way of knowing. Now listen, she's either still on this ship, or she's in a lifeboat. She can't have gotten far. Let's go look for her, okay?"

Atem nodded and leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Yugi's mouth, "You're right, hikari. Let's go."

The two walked out of the room and hurried to the bridge. The Commander looked out at the sea from the helm. The water was extremely calm, and not a breath of wind disturbed the American flag that hung from her pole. He heard the door slam open and knew something was wrong, merely from the looks on the two's faces. They approached him and gave a swift nod.

"Commander, we have a problem."

_45 minutes later…_

"Sir," Lieutenant Bourne said, "The search teams turned up empty. She's not on the ship sir."

"What about the lifeboats?" the Commander questioned.

"All accounted for," he replied.

"Then how the hell did she get off this ship?" the Commander asked.

"I don't know, sir," he said.

"Find out."

"Yes, sir," Bourne said.

Atem and Yugi walked into the bridge just as Bourne left. They murmured quick hello's before the door closed behind them. The Commander gave a frustrated sigh as the two approached. Yugi and Atem gave each other a quick glance.

"I take it that sigh doesn't mean good news," Atem said.

The Commander turned and gave him a look, "No, it doesn't. She's not anywhere on this ship, and none of the lifeboats are missing. How the hell does one just simple disappear in the middle of the ocean?"

Atem shook his head and sighed, "I don't know, Commander. There had to be some way she got off this ship without us knowing."

One of the officers of the ship approached the group uncertainly. He stopped next to the commander and glanced around nervously.

"What is it?" the Commander snapped.

"Uh… um… well…" he said.

"Spit it out," the Commander said.

"Well, sir," he said, "Do you remember how there was a blip on the underwater radar?"

"What of it?"

"What if it wasn't what we thought it was?" he asked.

The commander turned to the young officer and studied him for a moment, "Explain."

"What if it was a submersible, sir," he replied, "A submersible wouldn't be picked up by the radar, and if it was, it would have been too small to cause alarm."

The Commander paused and considered the notion. It was entirely plausible, and by the time they had noticed that she was gone, the submersible would have been able to cross hundreds of miles of ocean before reaching another ship. One that would be entirely outside of their radar. He shook his head and sighed, "You're right."

"I-I-I am sir?" the young officer asked.

"Yes, thank you," the Commander replied.

"You're welcome, sir," he said as he walked away.

The Commander turned to the two and nodded, "That's how she got off the ship. There was a submersible waiting for her. This entire thing was planned. From the moment we got the distress call, up until now. Every detail was preplanned. She knew we'd respond to the call and come help her. From there, it was just a matter of time, but what did she want?"

"We'll it obviously wasn't to kill us," Yugi remarked, "She could have done that while she was drawing us."

"We can help with that," a voice said from behind them.

The three turned around and Bakura and Dirk stood in the doorway. They approached the group with grim faces.

"It wasn't she. It was they. The four other survivors? They're gone. They must have been helping her," Bakura said.

"It appears that they came for the bodies of the ones that attacked us on the _Lisa Marie_," Dirk added.

"Why? If they wanted to kill us, then why didn't they do it while they had the chance?" Atem asked.

"I have no idea," Bakura muttered with a shake of his head.

"Well, I suggest you four get some sleep, now that the threat is gone. We'll be reaching port tomorrow afternoon.

The four of them nodded and left.

_A little while later…_

Yugi stared at the picture of him and Atem. He still couldn't get over how beautiful it was. He could hardly believe that the artist was someone they were against. He just didn't get that feeling about her. He sighed and placed the picture down onto the table and moved silently over to where Atem was on the bed. Atem had one leg bent, and an arm over his eyes. His other arm rested on his stomach. Yugi sat down gently next to him and started to run his hands through the other's hair. Atem hummed in pleasure. Yugi smiled and started to massage his scalp. The two didn't say anything, they didn't need to. They knew everything the other was going to say anyways. Yugi slipped his hands from the other's hair and motioned for him to turn over. Atem rolled over and got comfortable. Yugi straddled his waist and began to work the knots out of Atem's shoulders and back. He felt Atem relax into a pile of mush on the bed. A wicked idea popped into his mind and he worked his hands lower until he was near Atem's side. With an evil grin, he began to tickle the other. Atem gave a surprised yelp and started to wiggle underneath him. Yugi laughed out loud and continued to tickle his darker half. Atem managed to flip them over and pinned him to the bed. He switched Yugi's wrists to one hand and placed his hand on Yugi's side. The smaller one's eyes widened and he started to move.

"Nuh-uh, little one," Atem said with a wicked grin, "You started this."

Yugi squealed out loud when Atem started to tickle him. He managed to pull his wrists free and he tried to push Atem off of him. Atem merely smirked and leaned down to kiss him. Yugi forgot all about trying to push him away and instead, wrapped his arms around the older one's neck and pulled him closer. The kiss lasted several seconds before Yugi broke for air. Atem rested his forehead against Yugi's and the two stared deeply into the other's eyes.

"I love you," Yugi whispered.

"And I love you," he replied, "So very much."

Atem rolled off of the smaller one and pulled him into his arms. The two stared into each other's eyes as they played with the other's hair. Yugi rested his head against Atem's chest and sighed happily as he fell asleep. Atem continued to stroke the other's hair as thoughts filled his mind. He was worried. There was so much going on, and he didn't want to lose Yugi. It was different when they were together, when he was still in Yugi's mind. Now that they were separated, he couldn't guarantee that he could protect Yugi. It made him worry and he hoped beyond all hope that he could always protect Yugi.

_The next day…_

Atem and Yugi stood on the bow of the ship as they entered the New York harbor. They passed the fabled Ellis Island. They watched in silent awe as they passed the Statue of Liberty. Her copper dress and skin turned green from age, though the torch still gleamed a golden bright. She still looked as magnificent as the day she was built so many, many years ago.

"It's amazing to know that every person that came by boat to this section of America got to see her," Bakura said quietly as he came up behind them, "She represents everything that is free."

"How do you know so much about her?" Yugi asked.

Bakura sighed and turned to him, "Before the whole thing with the "Organization," Ryou's parents moved here to America for a few years before going to Japan. Ryou took the time to learn all he could about America. He certainly loved being here. I hope when this is all over again, I can bring him back."

Yugi smiled, "I always knew you were a softy, Bakura."

"Oh hush, shorty. It's just looking at the Statue of Liberty makes me want to fight every single thing that threatens our freedom. She represents exactly what we're fighting for," he replied as he motioned to the statue that was already falling behind them.

Atem turned and looked at the statue as it got smaller and smaller on the horizon, "You're right. It does."

The three stood at the rail watching the ships sail past them out of the harbor. The New York skyline came into view and the group stared in awe at it. They were so caught up in their own thoughts that they failed to notice Dirk joining them.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked.

Yugi nodded as both Bakura and Atem murmured their agreements, "When we came here the first time, back when we were still together, we never got to see the city. Not with the tracing devices we had."

The group watched the skyline pass as the ship finally docked.

"I promise, after everything is done, I'll show you the city. I grew up here, in Manhattan. It was things like 9/11 that pushed me into joining the navy and becoming a seal," Dirk said as the group moved to leave.

Atem studied him for a moment. He knew what Dirk was referring to. The day the United States was attacked by terrorists. He remembered floating next to Yugi as the smaller one watched the T.V. He recalled feeling the horrified confusion run through his hikari as the events of that day unfolded on the screen. He turned back to the skyline and tried to imagine the two beautiful sky scrapers standing proudly against the sky, "I'm sorry. I can't imagine the fear that was felt that day."

Dirk nodded, "It was terrifying. I almost lost a cousin that day. And things like that is what pushes me to want to stop bastards like Acario Grey. I just want to say, no matter where or when, if you ever need it, my team and I will be at your disposal. Just call and we'll be there."

Atem turned around and Dirk held out his hand. The two shook hands, "Thank you."

"Oh, and I have a message," Dirk said as the group proceeded to leave the deck, "Mr. Kaiba called and said that once you get into the nearest hotel, to give him a call. He's got some things he wants you to do."

Yugi nodded as the four parted ways. The Wades had already left, whisked off to a safe place set up by Kaiba Corps. Dirk was planning on staying on the ship until it docked in Washington D.C. The other three quickly said their goodbye's to the Commander and crew before catching a cab to the nearest hotel.

_20 minutes later, the Holiday Inn_

Atem had rented two rooms, one for him and Yugi and one for Bakura. After they unpacked and got settled, the three of them met in their room to call Seto. The phone ringed 3 times before it was picked up.

"Speak."

"Hello to you too," Atem said as he switched the phone over to speaker.

"Atem. Where the hell have you been? I've been waiting for your call for… 1 hour and 18 minutes," Seto growled.

"We were finding a hotel and getting settled in. Why, what have you found that's so important?" Yugi asked.

"We found out some more information about Ataxia Empire. I'll e-mail you the details," he replied, "And also, there's somewhere I need you to be tomorrow. Do you still have that Seal on hand?"

"I think we can catch him before the ship leaves, why?" Atem said.

"How well is your knowledge with airplanes?"

Atem hesitated, "It's fair."

"Good, because the four of you are going to an air show tomorrow. One of Acario Grey's sisters is supposedly in it," he said.

"Layla?" Yugi asked.

"No, a different one," Seto said, "And from what I hear, she's ruthless."

Bakura sighed, "Great, just what we need, a woman whose ruthless and related to a man that seemingly wants us dead. How much better can it get?"

"Even better," Seto smirked, "You're to talk to her."

"About what?" Yugi asked.

"Try and find out what Ataxia Empire is up to," Seto replied simply.

"Oh, and we're just supposed to hope that she doesn't kill us, right then and there?" Bakura asked.

"She won't kill you, it's a public showing. There will be too many people around," Seto replied.

A collective sigh went through the group.

"We'll do it, but if we die," Atem said, "You're paying for the funeral."

"Don't I pay for everything else?" Seto asked before he hung up.

Atem hung the phone up and Bakura retreated to his room to "write his will" as he called it. Yugi and Atem guessed it was to call Ryou. Yugi took a shower while Atem called Dirk at the ship. He agreed to meet them at the JFK airport, where the showing was being held. Atem hung up with him. He could still hear the shower running and an evil thought entered his head.

"Yugi, I have to use the bathroom," he said as he knocked on the door, "Mind if I come in?"

"No, go right ahead," Yugi's shouted over the noise from the shower.

Atem stepped inside and smirked. He could see Yugi's outline through the curtain and the little one had his back to him. Atem quietly stripped out of his clothes and slipped noiselessly into the shower. He circled Yugi's waist with his arms and nibbled on his earlobe, earning a moan from the smaller one. He ran his hands up and down Yugi's chest as he let go of his ear and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Their tongues dueled as he rubbed Yugi's nipples harshly. Yugi gasped and broke the kiss to moan loudly.

"Oh, Gods, Atem," he panted.

Atem smirked and attacked the back of Yugi's neck with his mouth. Yugi unconsciously tilted his head, giving Atem more access to it. Atem sucked and nibbled on his neck, littering it with small bite marks. He felt Yugi shudder and he pulled him into another kiss. Yugi turned in his arms and panted when the kiss broke.

"I want you," he murmured.

Atem kissed him again, "Your wish is my command."

* * *

*Grins* Don't forget to review!

Jaa!


	8. Air show

Sooo, sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I still have slight writers block on this one. It kind of got boring...

Anyways, it should pick up after this chapter. I hope you all like it!

Again, I do not own Yugioh. If I did, I wouldn't be scrapping to finish college!

Enjoy!

* * *

Sanity

Air show

The sound of airplanes filled the air as the cab came closer to the airport. Atem, Yugi and Bakura were all sitting side by side in the back seat as they watched their approach. Hundreds of cars were in the airport parking lot, as well as some alongside the road. Every bump they came across jarred Yugi's back. Atem had been rather rough last night, and he was feeling the effects of that now. He rubbed his back and winced in pain. He loved Atem, and enjoyed their love making, but he almost wished they hadn't last night. The taxi drove over another bump and Yugi let out a small whimper. Atem grimaced and rubbed Yugi's lower back soothingly. Yugi leaned into the other and gave him a small smile.

"I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Atem asked, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so rough."

Yugi shook his head and chuckled, "No, I wanted you to be rough. It's fine, and I'll be fine. I love you, my yami."

"I love you too, akhu," Atem whispered as he kissed Yugi's head. His arm wrapped around Yugi's shoulders and the smaller one leaned into him.

The cab stopped and the group exited. There were so many people here. There were people flying different kinds of planes, and people watching. They searched around for Dirk and found him standing next to the several different concession stands that littered the grounds. He noticed them and waved. The group walked up to him and scanned the crowd.

"So, who are we looking for?" he asked.

"Vivian Grey. She's supposedly one of the more ruthless of the Grey siblings," Yugi replied.

Dirk nodded and continued to scan the crowd.

"According to the file, she is a fashion consultant to most of the major fashion companies. She also looks a lot like Layla, except for the eye color, which is a striking green color. Other than that, the facial features and hair color are the exact same," Atem said as he wrapped his arm around Yugi's waist.

"Twins?"

"We don't think so. It seems that all of the sisters look alike," Bakura replied as he shook his head.

Dirk gave a small grunt. They fell into silence as they searched for their target in the mass of people. An airplane, a Cessna 190 landed and the figure that stepped down caught Bakura's attention.

"There she is," he said as he pointed to her.

Vivian Grey was just as beautiful as Layla, her sister. The only difference was the fact that while Layla had an aura of kindness, Vivian looked like she would castrate the next male she saw without so much of a second thought. She held herself like she was the queen of the world and the rest of the people were ants. She wore a plain grey jumpsuit, a scarf around her neck, black boots and sunglasses. She walked gracefully over to a pavilion that had been set up and sat down in a chair. Atem sighed and turned to the group.

"Dirk, you and Bakura are going to go talk to her," he said.

Bakura turned to him, "Why us? Why don't you two do it?"

"Because Yugi and I will be keeping an eye on the people around her in case she tries to do anything. That and we will meet her later tonight, but in the mean time, we don't want her to know who we are just yet," Atem replied with a shrug.

Bakura growled, but went along with it anyways. He and Dirk left the two and made their way over to Vivian Grey. They quickly studied their target. She was sitting with her legs crossed and her back straight. In her hands was a bottle of fresh mineral water. She was currently barking an order to what looked like her errand boy. The boy scrambled away to do whatever chore she had asked him to do. Bakura and Dirk approached her.

"Good morning, Miss Grey," Dirk said, "That was wonderful flying."

She turned to them and her emerald eyes narrowed, "Of course it was. May I know the names of the two men who have decided to grace my presence?"

Dirk smiled and kissed her hand, "My name is Dirk, and this is Bakura Ryou."

She sniffed, "Bakura Ryou? That sounds Japanese."

"It is, ma'am," Bakura replied.

"I don't like the Japanese. They are so full of themselves," she said as she turned her head and looked away from them.

Bakura's lip lifted into a sneer, "Well, luckily I am not Japanese. Both my mother and father were English. My mother was the one who decided to give me a Japanese name."

She turned back to him and glared at him, "Not that it matters."

It was all Bakura could do not to lunge at her and slit her throat.

Dirk stepped forward before Bakura could do anything, "We heard you are related to the famous Acario Grey?"

"Yes, he's my brother, why do you wish to know?" she asked suspiciously.

"We've always admired his work. How he built Ataxia Empire from scratch," Dirk replied with a shrug, "That takes a lot of dedication."

"Yes, my brother has always had ambition. He's always tried his hardest," she said proudly, "Ataxia Empire is his greatest creation. Only the select few can join the Empire."

"Select few?"

"Only those we deem worthy," she said, "You may be one of them."

She studied him. Dirk was rather good looking and looked like he would do whatever asked. He would definitely be an asset to the Empire.

"It would be an honor to just meet your brother, let alone join the Empire," he said.

She stood up and slipped on a pair of gloves, "There is a party tonight, at the Hilton Hotel. I'll have your names put down on the guest list and you can meet my brother. I'll also ask him to consider hiring you."

Dirk took her hand once more and kissed it again, "It would be a pleasure, Miss Grey. We won't hold you any longer."

She nodded and the two walked away. They met up with Yugi and Atem just outside of the airport.

"So what did she say?" Atem asked.

"She's very conceited. I just want to rip that pretty little head off her shoulders and feed it to a bunch of crocodiles," Bakura growled.

Yugi laughed, "What happened?"

"She insulted him," Dirk said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she said she hates Japanese. Though she didn't like it much when Bakura said that he wasn't Japanese," he said.

They left the airport and caught a taxi back to the hotel. On the way, Dirk filled them in on what happened. Atem and Yugi were rather glad that the two had been invited.

"Why are you happy about that?" Dirk asked.

"Because Seto got the two of us on the guest list. With you two there, at least we will have backup if we need it," Atem said.

"So that's what you meant when you had something else to do tonight?" Bakura asked.

Atem nodded, "Yes, that's exactly what we meant."

"Layla and Vivian will be there with another of their sisters," Yugi said, "And Acario Grey will also be attending."

"So Vivian told us," Dirk said.

Yugi nodded, "Yes, and they are sure to be angry when we show up."

The conversation ended, seeing as they had arrived back at their hotel. Atem and Yugi agreed to meet the two down in the lobby a half an hour before the party was scheduled to start. Dirk told them that he was going to go back to the ship to get ready and that he would meet them at the party. The three of them went up to their rooms to get ready.

An hour later and Yugi exited the bathroom. Atem was already dressed and ready to go. He wore black slacks with a button up white t-shirt that was open halfway, showing off his tan chest. He wore his customary choker, wrist bands and boots. He inhaled sharply when he looked at what Yugi was wearing. Yugi wore a pair of dark grey, almost black slacks and a deep purple shirt that was also unbuttoned halfway. The color brought out his eyes. He also had on his choker and wrist bands, though he wore black sneakers instead of boots. Atem stood up from the bed and crossed the room in a couple of strides. He pulled Yugi into his arms and kissed him deeply. When they broke apart, Yugi was flushed and panting.

"I take it you like my outfit?" he asked.

"If we weren't pressed for time," Atem breathed, "I would strip you of that outfit and take you right here."

Yugi blushed even more, "Mmmm… that sounds good. But we are on a schedule. If you're a good boy, you can strip me later."

Atem growled and pulled the other into another heated kiss. The kiss continued on for a few minutes before they broke apart panting. Atem released Yugi and took his hand in his. He threaded their fingers together and they made their way down to the lobby. They caught sight of Bakura, who was sitting in one of the various chairs. He wore black jeans with a blood red silk shirt. He had on a long coat over the shirt and black combat boots that were unlaced. (A/N: I seem to have a fetish for unlaced combat boots. It just seems so much hotter that way. Oh, and you all know the jacket. It's the same one he wears in the show a lot.)

"Let's get this over with," he grumbled when they reached him.

The three of them left their hotel and caught a cab to the Hilton building. They arrived and glanced at the long line that was in front of the building. The cab dropped them off in the front of the line and they walked up to the door man.

"Names?"

"Bakura Ryou, Atem Atenkaten, and Yugi Motou," Atem said.

He checked them off his list and let them in. They quickly made their way into the party and looked around for Dirk. He was standing over by the buffet table, drinking a glass of champagne. He wore a plain black tuxedo. He spotted them and waved. The three of them weaved their way through the various guests until they finally reached him.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," Yugi said, "Have you seen them yet?"

Dirk nodded and tipped his glass in the opposite direction, "They're standing over there by the fireplace. They certainly attract a lot of attention."

The three of them turned and looked at their targets. Vivian Grey was dressed in a black dress that flowed all the way down to the floor. It had a rather high slit in the side as well as a dangerously low v in the front. She wore her blonde hair down. A diamond necklace circled her throat and diamond earrings dangled from her ears. She wore matching diamond bracelets and a huge ring on her right hand. She laughed and flirted with several of the men in the room. Layla stood behind her. She wore a plain light blue strapless dress that also flowed down to the floor. Hers didn't have the slit though. She had on a simple pearl necklace and that was it. Next to them stood Acario Grey. He had shoulder length, wavy blond hair that covered one eye. His other eye, a striking blue color, studied the people around him. He wore an elegant black tux with a rich blue undershirt. He held a glass of the finest champagne as he talked with an older gentleman.

"Well," Bakura said with a sigh, "What are we waiting for? Let's go over and introduce ourselves. Though, we're likely to be shot by the end of the night."

Yugi let out a small laugh, "Always the pessimist."

"Well, after living how we've lived, I'm surprised you're not one too," Bakura grumbled.

"Touché, Bakura," Yugi said with a smile, "Touché."

The group made their way over to the three siblings. Atem told Bakura and Dirk to hang back until they told them. The two look-a-likes approached the three. Yugi smiled at Layla, who stared at them in shock.

"If it isn't an honor," Atem said.

Acario Grey turned to them and studied them, "Can I help you?"

Atem smirked, "That remains to be seen, Mr. Grey."

"We merely wanted to say hello to Miss Layla and to meet the prestigious brother that we've heard so much about," Yugi replied as he nodded to Layla.

She nodded her head at them and fiddled with her glass as she felt her brother fix her with a harsh glare. Acario turned and held out his hand.

"It is nice to meet you. Please call me Pegasus, Mr…?" he said.

Atem grasped his hand and squeezed a little harder than necessary, "Atem Atenkaten. And this is Yugi Motou."

Vivian gasped and glared at them, "You two are the ones who captured our people."

Atem grinned as Pegasus ripped his hand from his, "So, our reputations have proceeded us again, Yugi."

"So it would appear, Atem," Yugi said with a chuckle.

"You are in a dangerous position, Mr. Atenkaten," Pegasus growled, "I could have you killed the moment you leave this hotel."

Atem shook his head, "I don't think so, that would piss of the Navy Seals that escorted us here."

It was bluff and Yugi knew it, but he didn't let on. Pegasus growled and glared at him.

"Speaking of which, there is someone I'd like to introduce you to. Although, you, Miss Vivian, have already met them," Atem said as he motioned for Bakura and Dirk to come over.

Vivian gasped again, "These two were the ones I was telling you about, brother. I had no idea that they were with you."

Bakura and Dirk walked up to them. Atem introduced them and they grinned at the hatred that crossed Vivian's face.

"It is good to see you again, Miss Vivian," Dirk said.

"Go rot in hell," she hissed at him.

"Such language from a lady," Bakura grinned, "Surely you can do better."

She growled and Pegasus held up a hand to quiet her, "What is the meaning of this?"

Atem shrugged, "We just wanted to meet the man that seems to want us dead."

"Well, now you've met him, what do you think?" he asked.

"You're a pompous asshole and your sisters are bitches. Except for Layla. She seems to be the most normal out of all of you," Yugi said, "Though I pity her for having to deal with the likes of you."

Vivian's mouth fell open in shock and Pegasus stared at the smaller one. He burst out laughing, startling everyone present, "Well, I must admit, not many people are willing to say that to our face, Yugi-boy."

Yugi smirked, "I'm not most people."

"So it would appear," Pegasus said.

Dirk moved over to where Layla was standing, "Miss Layla, may I have this dance?"

She nodded her head and, much to her brother's annoyance, the two walked out onto the dance floor and began to dance. Bakura excused himself to go to the restroom.

"What do you want?" Pegasus asked.

"Why are you kidnapping all of the Hikari's and Yami's?" Atem asked bluntly.

Shock briefly crossed Pegasus' face, "That is nothing you need to know."

"What have they done to cause you to harm them?" Yugi asked.

"What does it matter, Yugi-boy?" Pegasus asked, "Unless…"

"It makes sense, brother," Vivian replied, "They look alike and act like such."

Pegasus nodded, "So, you two are Yami and Hikari?"

"Not that it matters," Atem said, "But yes, we are."

Pegasus merely grinned, "If you will excuse us, it is time we collected our sister and left."

Atem nodded reluctantly and the two left. They retrieved Layla and left the party. Bakura and Dirk joined them as they watched them go.

"Learn anything useful?" Dirk asked.

"Only that they are a bunch of arrogant idiots," Yugi replied.

"Dirk," Atem said suddenly, "Have your team ready. I fear we may need you."

Dirk nodded. The group decided to leave, seeing as their reason for being there had left. They separated, Dirk back to the ship and the other three back to their hotel. After bidding Bakura goodnight, Atem and Yugi entered their room. Yugi walked out onto the balcony that was attached to their room while Atem called room service. He ordered some food for them to eat and a bottle of wine. Yugi stared out at the city. He felt arms wrap around his waist and he leaned back into Atem.

"I'm scared, Atem," he whispered.

"I know, hikari," Atem replied, "But I promise nothing is going to happen to you. I won't let it."

Yugi sighed and turned around in the embrace. He leaned up and kissed the other lovingly, "I love you, my yami."

"I love you too, my tenshi," Atem whispered. He pulled back from Yugi and took his hand, "Come. You promised a little fun if I behaved tonight. Since I did, I think I'm entitled to a little reward."

"As you wish, my Pharaoh," Yugi said with a smile.

The two went back into their room and Atem proceeded to show Yugi just how much fun they would have.

* * *

So we finally get to meet the mysterious Acario Grey, a.k.a. Pegasus. How many of you saw that coming? And yes, I changed his name on purpose.

A rare little summery of the next chapter: Yugi and Atem are fast asleep after having passionate sex. What happens when Yugi wakes up from a noise out on the balcony and why does Atem seem to freak out?

Anywho... now that I've teased you with that... See you in the next chapter!

Jaa!


	9. Kidnap

Ahh, here it is. Another chapter to Sanity.

Now I'm really hoping you all don't kill me.

Yugi: Please don't kill the author! She's only doing what we tell her to!

Yeah, what he said. Anyways...

Enjoy!

* * *

Sanity

Kidnap

The moonlight filtered in through the open balcony, the curtain's fluttering in the wind. The warm northern air ghosted across bare skin. Yugi lay halfway across Atem's chest as he slept. His breath made his hair flutter slightly. Atem had his one arm wrapped around the smaller one's waist. They were both naked under the covers, after making love several times throughout the night. The only noises were the occasional snore from Atem, and the noises of the city below. Yugi moved his head and tried to move closer to Atem when his bladder gave protest.

He stretched and gently unwound Atem's arm. He slid off the bed without waking the older Yami. The smaller look-a-like padded silently over to the bathroom. When he was finished, he walked back over to the bed and stared down at his lover. Atem's face was highlighted in the moonlight and it made him even more exotic. Yugi sat down on the edge of the bed closest to Atem and brushed the other's bangs back gently. A small smile graced his lips as he watched his Yami sleep. They had been through quite a lot together and he wouldn't give him up for anything. All the treasures in the world were dull and worthless compared to the exotic jewel in front of him. Atem was his most precious thing, and Yugi wouldn't have it any other way.

The sound of a chair moving caught Yugi's attention. He frowned and made his way towards the balcony. He cautiously approached the doors. A knife rested on a small table near the doors and he grabbed it. There was another noise and he inched forward. The moonlight illuminated the entire balcony when he slowly walked out onto it. A small noise to the left caught his attention and Yugi spun around. He laughed quietly when he saw what it was. Part of the curtain was caught on one of the balcony chairs. Yugi walked over and pulled the curtain away. He stood up and smiled.

There was a noise behind him and a white cloth covered in chloroform was pressed over his mouth and nose. Yugi flailed and tried to elbow the attacker in the stomach. He opened his mouth to scream and inhaled. His vision swam as he fought to stay conscious. The chloroform was already working, unfortunately and the only thing he managed to do was get a small grunt from the person. They're grip remained tight and he slowly passed out. The intruder picked up Yugi's body and held it gently. They turned and gave one last look at Atem's sleeping form before disappearing.

_5 hours later,_

Atem woke up and stretched as the sunlight filtered in through the open doors. He frowned when he noticed that Yugi wasn't in the bed with him. He stood up and stretched again, his back muscles rippling. He padded across the room towards the bathroom. He peeked in and his frown deepened. He went to the bathroom and when he was done he went out onto the balcony. He grew worried when he realized that Yugi wasn't anywhere in the room. He was about to walk back into the room when he noticed a letter on the table, underneath a vase. His name was on the front in curly hand writing. He turned it over and ripped it open. He pulled the note out and was about to open it when another not fell out. He bent down and picked it up. He gave it a curious glance before turning back to the other note. He opened it and his eyes widened.

Hello Atem,

By now you're probably wondering where Yugi is. I think you can probably guess by now what I've done. If you want him back, come to Niagara Falls ALONE tomorrow at 8 p.m.

Acario "Pegasus" Grey.

Atem became furious. He tore up the note and was about to put his shoes on and stalk over there to demand that they give Yugi back when he remembered the other note. He unfolded it and in curly handwriting were the words:

Atem,

Listen to me, I'm sorry that this had to happen, but I'm going to help anyway I can. DO NOT DO SOMETHING RASH! The only way you're going to save Yugi is if you listen to me. My brother and sister have taken him to a small warehouse two blocks from the falls. They plan on killing him in front of you tomorrow and then killing you. If you want to keep him alive, you'll listen to me. Tonight, around 10 o'clock, my brother and sister are planning on leaving the warehouse. The only ones that will be there will be two guards and myself. I can let you in and if you can knock out the two guards, you can rescue him. But it will have to be tonight! This is the only opportunity to do so! You must trust me! Please hurry!

Layla

Atem growled again and crushed the letter in his fist. He quickly threw on a t-shirt and his shoes and left the room. He walked across the hall and banged on the door to Bakura's room.

"Tomb Robber, get your ass up and open this door!" he snarled. He continued to bang on the door until a groggy and mad Bakura yanked the door open.

"What the hell do you want?" he snapped.

Yami strode inside and started to pace, "They've kidnapped him."

"Kidnapped who?" Bakura said as he closed the door and looked at Atem. He made sure to stay away from the shadows, since he noticed that they were quivering in anger.

"Who do you think?" Atem snapped, "Yugi!"

Bakura immediately began to get dressed as he asked, "How? When?"

"If I knew that, do you think I'd be standing here?" he snarled at him, "I found this on the balcony table this morning. It's the only thing left."

He opened his hand and the little pieces of paper that he had ripped up slipped from his hand and the shadows immediately swallowed them up.

Bakura tilted his head and frowned, "Was the only thing left."

Atem stopped pacing and faced Bakura, "The only thing that's holding me back from going over there and ripping them to shreds is this."

He handed Bakura the note that Layla left. Bakura read it carefully. He reread it before handing it back, "Could be a trap. We don't even know if that's her handwriting."

Atem shook his head as he took the note back, "No, it's her handwriting alright. It's the same writing as the one that was on the note she left us on the boat."

Bakura nodded and slipped his shoes on. Atem resumed pacing, "I just want to destroy them. I'll kill them, Tomb Robber. I'll pull their skin from their bodies and then hang them up to bleed to death. I'll let the shadows suffocate them and let them drag their souls into the Shadow Realm and torture them for all of time. I'll…"

"Calm down, Pharaoh," Bakura said as he shoved a phone into Atem's hands, "Call Seto and tell him what's happened while I call Dirk."

Atem opened the phone with shaky hands. Bakura sighed and rested a hand on Atem's shoulder, "We'll find him. Don't worry."

Atem gave a jerky nod and proceeded to dial Seto. Bakura walked over to the hotel phone and dialed the number for the ship. It rang a couple of times before someone answered.

"Yes?"

"Hello, this is Bakura Ryou, is Dirk there?" Bakura asked.

"Oh, hey, Bakura. Yeah, sure one moment."

A few seconds went by and then Dirk's voice floated over the phone, "Hey Bakura, what's up?"

"Yugi's been kidnapped," he said.

"What? When?"

Bakura shook his head, "I don't know. It happened sometime last night. Can you assemble your team and meet us at the hotel as soon as possible?"

"Yeah, sure. We'll be there soon," Dirk replied.

"Thank," Bakura said and then hung up the phone. He turned around and looked at Atem. The other had already hung up with Seto and was now looking out the window. A look of complete worry mixed with emptiness and madness crossed his face. Bakura may not have liked Atem very much, but he would have never wished this on him. He knew that the two were different. They were a special type of Yami and Hikari. No one knew what exactly would happen if the two were split apart for very long, though Bakura had a small clue of what would happen. All of earth would be destroyed until the two were back together again. It was something that Bakura hoped he would never have to see. He ran a hand through his hair and walked over to the other.

"Dirk and his team will be here soon," he said.

Atem nodded and sighed, "Seto has a private jet standing by. The moment we get Yugi back, we're supposed to get on the jet and return to Japan."

Bakura nodded, "We'll get him back. I promise, Atem."

Atem nodded. The shadows around them gave an angry shake and Atem winced. He shook his head and turned to Bakura and looked him dead in the eye, "We've got to hurry. The shadows…"

He shuddered again as the shadows gave another violent shake, "The shadows are angry, and I don't know how long I can hold them off."

* * *

Will Atem be able to keep the shadows from destroying everything? Will they rescue Yugi in time? Or will all Hell break loose?

See you in the next chapter!

Jaa!


	10. Rescue

Wow, it's been quite a while since I updated this story.

Wynter: I'd say. Over a year.

I'm sorry! I lost motivation to finish it!

Wynter: Don't apologize to me. Apologize to them. *points to readers*

I am very sorry for not updating this story (and my other stories) sooner. Please forgive me?

Wynter: Serena and I do NOT own Yugioh or anything else. The only things that we own are the characters Serena and Wynter as well as the plot.

Enjoy!

* * *

Sanity

Rescue

The lobby was crowded when Bakura and Atem exited the elevator. They looked around and walked into the mass of people. All around them, people talked, laughed, some even sang. Atem couldn't understand it. He didn't know how people could be so happy knowing that all around them human beings just like themselves were being murdered just for being themselves. His confusion and anger did not help, though. It only served to make the shadows even angrier, and he kept wincing every few footsteps. Bakura laid a hand on his shoulder, and crimson eyes that were weary and steadily gaining an insane look to them, focused on his. He sighed and patted Atem's shoulder lightly, giving the other a reassuring look. Atem only winced in reply and turned away. A little kid ran into Atem and the shadows gave a horrifying lurch forward. Atem clenched his fists and closed his eyes in an effort to push them back. Bakura glared at the kid and told him to scram. The kid squeaked and ran away from them as quickly as his small legs could go. Turning back to Atem, he eyed the other, until the shorter Yami gave a jerky nod. The two continued on to the front of the hotel.

Standing next to the door, in a pair of khaki shorts and a t-shirt stood Dirk. He gave them a tight smile and ushered them out before him. Speaking softly so no one would hear him, he said, "We'll get changed on the way. I didn't want to appear to be too suspicious to the civilians."

"That's fine," Atem said as he walked shakily to the van where the rest of team waited. Dirk noticed and gave them a worried look. Bakura just shook his head and mouthed, "You'll find out soon."

Dirk nodded and the three got into the van. It wasn't a normal van. Inside was almost every technological device one could think of. Several members of Dirk's team sat at computers, pulling a plan together for when they infiltrated the warehouse. Bakura whistled softly and his hands itched to even look at one of the devices. Dirk noticed the look and nodded in amusement. Bakura made a beeline for the nearest member with a computer. He hovered behind the man, watching and asking occasional questions. Dirk was amused, and he shook his head before turning back to Atem. He frowned and said, "Okay, what's going on?"

"Well, it's like Bakura said," he started to say, "Yugi's been…"

"Kidnapped, I know," Dirk interrupted, "That's not what I'm talking about. Why do you keep wincing like you're in pain?"

Atem sighed and winced again. He ran a hand across his face as he replied, "You know how Yugi and I aren't exactly normal?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, we both control different powers," Atem said, "Yugi controls the power of light, and I control the shadows. We balance each other, basically. With Yugi gone, the shadows are slowly starting to take control. I don't know how much longer I can hold them back."

Dirk whistled, "Damn… and I thought my life was bad."

Bakura gave a bark like laugh as he turned around and said, "Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet."

"What do you mean?" one of Dirk's team members asked.

"Knowing these two," he replied as he jerked his thumb at Atem, "Things are about to get much worse."

**An hour and a half later, outside the warehouse**

"Alright," Dirk whispered, "It's almost time. Plane! How is the security?"

"Both guards are standing beside the front door," a woman with long brown hair tied into a pony tail and oval glasses said. She was laying flat on her stomach high on a tree branch. In her hands was a sniper gun, the scope fixed on to the two guards standing in front of the warehouse.

"Wait until Pegasus and Vivian leave the warehouse," Dirk said over a small hand held radio from inside the van. They were parked a few warehouses down. He looked over one of the computer monitors that showed infrared scans of the inside of the warehouse Yugi was located in. He gave a quick glance at Atem, who was wincing every now and then, as he continued, "When they leave, dismantle the two guards."

"Yes sir," Plane said as she trained her gun onto the left hand guard.

The group waited and a few moments later, the door to the warehouse opened and out stepped Pegasus and Vivian. They closed the door behind them as they chatted quietly together, heading towards a 1937 black Rolls Royce Phantom. Pegasus held the door open for Vivian and she climbed into the passenger side, setting her purse on the seat as he closed the door. He climbed into the driver's side and the two took off down the road. All movement in the van stopped as the car drove by them. Atem almost fainted as he tried desperately to prevent the shadows from making the car explode. Once the Rolls Royce disappeared from view, Plane focused the sight on the guards and fired twice. Two tiny darts filled with just enough poison to make them go unconscious. The first dart struck the left guard and he fell with a soft thump. Before the second guard even had a chance to turn, the second dart struck him in the neck and he slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Dirk, Atem, and Bakura all hurried out of the van and over to the warehouse. Dirk slowly opened the door and peered inside. He spotted Yugi tied to a chair; his head slumped over like he was sleeping. Layla was sitting over at a desk next to one of the walls, scribbling away at something furiously. A look over of the rest of the warehouse revealed nothing threatening, so he opened the door, the creak giving away his presence. Layla looked up and gave a sigh of relief as she tossed her pen down onto the desk and hurried over to them. Bakura elbowed his way past Dirk and glared down at her, "Where's shorty?"

"He's over there," she said as she pointed to Yugi.

Atem pushed his way past Bakura and Dirk as he entered the warehouse. He looked towards where Layla was pointing and almost collapsed. The shadows relaxed at the feel of their light so close to them and the strain put on Atem by them lifted considerably. He was able to wearily walk over to Yugi and grab his shoulders in a gentle grip and shake him, "Yugi, akhu, wake up."

A small groan was heard as Yugi slowly woke up, revealing dulled amethyst eyes, a result of the chloroform. He lifted his head and blinked his eyes a few times as he gazed into the worried and tired face of Atem, "Where am I?"

"You're in a warehouse in Niagara Falls, koi," Atem said as he started to untie the ropes holding Yugi to the chair.

"How did I get here?" Yugi murmured as he shook his head, a large headache making itself known as he did.

"Pegasus and Vivian kidnapped you last night," Atem replied as he undid the last of the ropes holding from around Yugi. They fell to the floor and he pulled his hikari into his arms. A sigh escaped his lips as he buried his face in Yugi's hair. He tightened his arms around Yugi, "Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?"

"I'm fine," Yugi murmured into Atem's neck. He shuddered slightly as he took a deep breath, "Just scared. I had no idea what was going to happen."

"It's going to be okay, little one," Atem whispered. The two of them stood up and it was then that Atem finally got a good look at Yugi. There were cuts and bruises all over his body, some of which were still bleeding. His body shook in anger as he tightened his grip on Yugi's arms slightly.

Bakura walked over to them and wrapped a long jacket around Yugi. He didn't think the others needed to see the marks all over Yugi's body. It pissed him off. How could someone do such a thing and not feel an ounce of remorse for it? If he saw those two again, he was going to make sure they regretted hurting Yugi. The boy, after all, was like a brother to him, and Bakura protected his family. That was, of course, if there was anything left after Atem got through with them.

The group was just about to leave when the front door to the warehouse slammed open to reveal Vivian and Pegasus. Both groups stopped and just stared at each other. A large scraping sound broke them out of their stupor and everyone jumped at the same time. Vivian reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small pistol. She aimed it as the group fled in different directions. Firing off a round, the bullet hurtled towards Atem, who had his back to her. A cry rang out as Yugi pushed Atem out of the way, the bullet entering his chest and lodging in his right lung. The shot and yell stopped everyone in their tracks, including Pegasus who was looking at Vivian in shock. Atem dropped to his knees and pulled Yugi into his arms, panic and fear evident in his eyes as he all but screamed, "Yugi!"

"A-Atem…" Yugi murmured weakly. He coughed and blood dripped out of the corners of his mouth.

"Shhh…" Atem said as he pressed a hand over the wound in Yugi's chest, putting pressure on it in an attempt to stop the bleeding, "Don't talk. You're going to be fine, love."

Yugi struggled to take in a breath as his lugs filled up with blood. His eyes glazed over as he stared up into watery crimson eyes. He took a deep breath and whispered out haltingly, "Atem… I… love you…"

His eyes closed as he took one last breath, his body falling limp in Atem's arms. Atem's eyes filled as he gently tried to shake Yugi's shoulder, hoping the smaller Hikari had merely passed out, "Yugi? Yugi? Yugi!"

He clutched Yugi's body to his chest as he wept brokenly as he repeated Yugi's name over and over again. Bakura clenched his fists as he closed his eyes and fought against his own tears. He had no idea the pain Atem was going through, but he knew he could sympathize. If anyone killed Ryou, he'd go insane and hunt down everyone he could. Turning his gaze towards Vivian and Pegasus, he hissed out violently, "You!"

Vivian shrank back against the glare and looked helplessly at Pegasus, who backed away from her slowly. Bakura took a step forward when a large vibration shook the warehouse. Everyone that was standing lost their footing and fell to the ground. Looking around in panic, Bakura's gaze fell on Atem, who was still clutching Yugi's body. The shadows swirled around him, anger present in the way they danced black, red, and gold. They flickered like hungry flames attacking very dry wood, encasing Atem's body in nothing but shadows. He slowly laid Yugi's body down onto the floor, the shadows creating a cage like embrace around the smaller Hikari. Standing up, the shadows moved away from his body, revealing him to be floating a few inches off of the floor. His hair was waving in a non-existent wind and his eyes were pure black. Bakura doubted that the being in front of him was Atem anymore. It looked as if the shadows had taken over every part of Atem's body, his rage and sorrow fueling them on. Indeed, when Atem opened his mouth to speak, it sounded as if a thousand voices spoke at once, "You killed him… You killed our light!"

Vivian and Pegasus both cowered on the floor, their eyes wide in fear. Every instinct in them told them to run, but their bodies refused to obey. The shadows took a step forward and Bakura fought with himself to not move. He didn't want to attract the shadows attention, not as out of control as they were right now. Once the shadows, using Atem's body, glided past him, he took the risk and bolted to Yugi's side. The cage of shadows refused to let him close to Yugi's body, but he didn't need to reach the smaller Hikari to see the soft glow around Yugi. He was so distracted by what was happening to Yugi that he jumped when he heard a scream pierce the air. Whipping his head around, he watched as the shadows lifted Vivian in the air, dark tendrils wrapped tightly around her throat. They pulled her close to Atem's face, looking deep within her soul before snarling and engulfing her entire figure. Her screams were like music to the shadows' ears and a twisted grin crossed Atem's face. Bakura grimaced when the shadows proceeded to peel her skin off slowly and painfully. He heard several bones crack as they broke under the pressure of the shadows' grip. Her screams cut away to a painful gargle and the shadows sneered in disgust. They slipped into her body through her mouth, eyes and ears, swarming through what was left of her before exploding outward in a shower of blood and tissue. Bakura staggered backwards as blood hit him in the face. Using the edge of his sleeves, he frantically wiped the blood away and almost missed the low groan coming from his left. Glancing over that way, his jaw dropped when he saw Yugi's eyes flicker open. Dropping down to his knees, he knelt next to the shadow cage as he said frantically, "Yugi?"

"Bakura…?" Yugi asked weakly as he fought to keep his eyes open.

"Come on, Yugi," Bakura said as he tried to reach out to Yugi, the shadows hissing and pulsing when he got too close, "Wake up. Atem needs you right now."

At the mention of Atem's name, Yugi's eyes flew open and he struggled to sit up, but the cage wouldn't let him get very far. His eyes scanned the warehouse until the fell on Atem's form a little ways away, now devouring what was left of Pegasus.

"It's not him, Yugi," Bakura said as he turned to watch the shadows tear apart Pegasus' body, "He lost control. There's nothing left of Atem but the shadows now."

Slowly, Yugi raised a hand to the shadow cage and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, the shadows around him melted away and slid back to merge with the ones controlling Atem. Yugi slowly stood up and walked towards Atem, making sure to keep the jacket Bakura wrapped around him over his body. Atem turned around, the shadows swirling a multitude of colors as they assessed the threat in front of them. Yugi halted a few feet away from them, the shadows darting out to engulf his body. He ignored the freezing cold feeling as they lifted his body up to bring him close to Atem's face. With as much strength as he could, his magic pulsed a slow yellow color around his body as he tried to convey his love and affection to them, willing them to recognize who he was. The shadows paused in the assessment of him for a few moments, unsure of where the feelings were coming from. Slowly reaching out, Yugi cupped Atem's face, the shadows swirling uncertainly in his eyes as Yugi leaned closer and pressed his lips against his Yami's. Closing his eyes, he tried to convey all of his love, light, and happiness to the shadows through the kiss. Bakura watched as the shadows swirled around the pair, flashing various shades of violet and crimson as Yugi continued to kiss Atem. It seemed like hours to Yugi, but it was only a few seconds before he felt his feet connect back with the floor. Warm, strong arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer as he felt Atem respond to the kiss. He moaned when he felt Atem's tongue slip past his lips and caress his slowly, lovingly.

The shadows melted away, going back to their original forms as if nothing had even happened. The only trace of Vivian and Pegasus existing was what Bakura had wiped off of his face. Their bodies and souls having been destroyed in the fit of pure rage that the shadows had fallen into when Yugi had died. The kiss lasted several more minutes before Yugi pulled back, gasping for air, staring up into bewildered crimson eyes. Atem ran a shaky hand through Yugi's hair as he stared down in shock at the smaller look-a-like. A tender smile curled over Yugi's lips as Atem whispered, "How…?"

"The light. It healed my wounds and brought me back to life. I remember hearing several voices telling me that I had to go back," Yugi explained as he leaned into Atem's touches, his eyes falling shut in contentment, "They said I had to go back because the shadows were out of control and would destroy the entire world if I didn't. They said I was the only one who could stop them."

"I… I don't remember what happened," Atem murmured as he continued to touch Yugi. The arm that was still wrapped around Yugi's waist tightened as he thought about what happened, "I remember holding your body in my arms, my heart breaking. I remember the shadows taking over and floating in pure darkness, not caring what happened. You were gone so there was nothing left for me to live for. The next thing I know, you're in my arms and we're kissing."

"The shadows took control and destroyed Pegasus and Vivian," Bakura said as he walked up to them. He was still slightly wary of the two of them, considering everything he had seen within the past few days, "They're dead."

Atem and Yugi looked around, just then realizing where they were. Dirk and his team stood at the back of the warehouse, staring at the two of them in shock and fear. Atem winced and turned back to Bakura as he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Bakura said as he shrugged a shoulder, "The worst that happened to me was the shadows throwing Vivian's blood at me. I swear, my hair's going to be tinted red for the rest of my life."

Yugi and Atem just stared at him for a moment before bursting out laughing. Bakura frowned at the two of them before throwing his hands up in the air in defeat and muttering, "Fine! Fine! Just make fun of the psychotic albino why don't you! Can you at least laugh at me after we leave this place? I want to get home to my Ryou."

Wiping tears out of their eyes, the two look-a-likes fought down their laughter. Yugi nodded his head and smiled at Bakura, "Sure. Let's go home."

* * *

Yay! Everythings okay now!

Wynter: You killed Yugi.

It was necessary! Besides, he came back to life.

Wynter: Humph.

Don't forget to review! See you in the next chapter (which is really extremely short and mostly just an epilogue.)

Jaa!


	11. Home

*sniffs*

Wynter: What's wrong with you?

It's the end of the story. Makes me kind of sad.

Wynter: You have more that you're going to write. It's not going to be the end of the world.

I know, but it's the end of this story and that makes me kind of sad.

Wynter: You'll live. You've got a handful of other stories you need to finish, including 4 new stories that are in the works.

True.

Wynter: Enjoy the mini chapter!

* * *

Sanity

Home

The jet landed safely on the airport runway and wheeled into the airport terminal. The passengers quickly filling off the plane and into the airport, chattering happily about this or that. A weary, but happy looking Yugi and Atem followed the crowd to the baggage claim, a disgruntled Bakura trailing after them. Once they found their luggage, they quickly went to search for a ride to take them back to Kaiba Corp. A streak of white was the only warning Bakura had before he was tackled to the floor and covered in tiny kisses. A small chuckle erupted from deep inside him as he wrapped his arms around Ryou's waist and kissed him deeply. The smaller Hikari squeaked and then melted into the kiss, his fingers tangling in Bakura's hair. Atem shook his head at the two of them as he turned and almost ran straight into Joey, who flung himself at both Atem and Yugi. He squeezed them tightly as he all but sobbed out, "I missed you both!"

The two awkwardly patted Joey's back as Yugi choked out, "Can't… breathe…"

"Oh, sorry!" Joey exclaimed as he jumped backwards and almost fell on his butt if it hadn't been for Kaiba.

The taller brunette caught Joey before he could fall and pulled him close, "Careful, puppy, you'll hurt yourself."

Joey blushed a bright red and swatted at Kaiba's hands, "Don't call me puppy!"

Kaiba merely ignored him as he nodded to Yugi and Atem, "Welcome back."

"Thanks," Atem said as he wrapped an arm around Yugi's waist.

Bakura appeared next to them, a ravished looking Ryou in his arms as he grinned at Kaiba, "Hey, Priest. Anymore crazy adventures for us to go on?"

Kaiba glared at Bakura for a moment before shaking his head, "No, _Tomb robber_, I don't have any more crazy adventures for you. Though, I do want to offer all four of you a chance to go on vacation to anywhere in the world you'd like to go."

"Oh, no, thanks," Yugi said quickly. He waved his hands frantically, "We just want to go home and sleep. We'll pass on the vacation, thanks."

Atem nodded his head as he stifled a yawn behind his hand. After everything the two of them had been through, they both agreed that all they wanted was to go home and sleep. The idea of a nice comfortable bed, sleep, and Yugi in his arms almost made him want to say good bye to the group right then and there and go. But he didn't say anything, choosing instead to bury his face in Yugi's hair and sigh softly.

"What happened to the Hikaris and Yamis being killed off?" Bakura asked Kaiba.

"It's stopped. Since Pegasus and Vivian were killed, no one's dared to try and do anything. I think it might finally be over," Kaiba said with a soft sigh.

"Good," Yugi murmured as he nodded his head firmly, "Maybe now everyone can start living their own lives."

"Maybe," Kaiba said with a nod.

Bakura smirked evilly at him and said, "Anywhere, huh?"

Kaiba hesitantly nodded, suddenly unsure if it was such a good idea. Bakura's smirk widened and he leered down at Ryou, "We'll take a weeklong vacation to…"

"England," Ryou interrupted suddenly. He smiled innocently up at the glare that Bakura suddenly shot down at him, "What? Didn't you agree to come visit my family?"

Bakura groaned and the group laughed. Atem absently nuzzled Yugi's hair and the smaller Hikari smiled up at him. The two watched as Bakura and Joey started bickering with each other over whether or not Kaiba should give them two vacations.

"_We saved the world you know!"_

"_Ya have a job now! Ya can't be gone for two weeks!"_

Yugi rested his head against Atem's shoulder and sighed happily. Their group had been through a lot, first with Dartz and his keeping all the Hikari's locked up, then with Pegasus. Despite it all, though, he wouldn't change what happened. Well, maybe he would try and stop all of the deaths of the hikaris and yamis that happened as a result of those two's maniac ways, but other than that, he was quite content with the way things had turned out.

Atem smiled down at Yugi and tightened his arms around Yugi's waist as he murmured, "We're home."

Yugi smiled and nodded his head, "Yeah. Home."

* * *

When you said mini-chapter, you meant mini.

Wynter: Not my fault you wrote a small chapter.

It's an epilogue. I didn't want it to be very long.

Anyways, we hoped you enjoyed the story and don't forget to review! See you in my next stories!

Jaa!


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